


Kingdom Hearts: The Uncertainty Principle

by JJHatter



Category: Disney - All Media Types, Kingdom Hearts (Video Games), Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon)
Genre: Gen, Mega-Crossover, Varian Has Issues (Disney), Villain Varian (Disney)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-06
Updated: 2020-11-05
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:47:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 28
Words: 81,545
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25751590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JJHatter/pseuds/JJHatter
Summary: Takes place Post-KH3. When a vision from Master Yen Sid leads to Sora and his crew returning to the Kingdom of Corona, it turns out to be the start of yet another world-hopping adventure. Along the way, our heroes meet new friends, new enemies...and one very particular character who will be both at the same time...
Relationships: Ruddiger & Varian (Disney), Sora & Varian
Comments: 44
Kudos: 79





	1. Book I, Chapter I

**Author's Note:**

> AUTHOR'S NOTES: This is the start of a long-running fanfic I have been working on for a while. The story will be told over the course of six separate "books," with this being the being the beginning of the very first. I decided it would be best to write the whole first book out first before posting anything; I will be uploading this story bi-weekly, every Tuesday and Thursday (unless something changes), and Book II will follow as soon as IT is completed. (Hopefully that will mean right on the heels of this one, but I cannot promise that.) The same will go for Book III and so on and so forth. Each book will be set in a separate world, based on a separate franchise.
> 
> The story is essentially the culmination of several passions of mine sort of colliding together. I recently discovered and became obsessed with the animated series "Rapunzel's Tangled Adventures" (a.k.a. Tangled: The Series). So recently, in fact, that the show was already midway through its third and final season by the time I actually started watching it. Just my luck. :P Anyway, I fell madly in love with the character of Varian, especially in regards to his story arc in Season 1. I started thinking it would be fun to see the kid squared off against various Disney Villains. At the same time, I wanted to write a story set in the universe of Kingdom Hearts, which would feature various worlds and characters (especially the Villains) that I've wanted to see in the games for a while, but - at least at the time of planning and writing this story - haven't happened yet. This is the start of both those desires colliding. This first book is set in the Kingdom of Corona (the Tangled World), and I think I'll leave the rest up to you to discover.
> 
> Rating: PG/K+ (this is relatively lighthearted fare, but it does go into some dark places now and again)
> 
> Disclaimer: All characters and settings are the property of Disney & Square Enix. The image used for the thumbnail/cover art is a collage I made using various images found via a simple Google Image Search. All of the images have been altered: some have been cropped, some have been flipped, all but one have been recolored, etc. I do not own the original pictures, only the ways they've all been edited and stitched together. NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT IS INTENDED. PLEASE SUPPORT THE OFFICIAL RELEASES. THIS IS STRICTLY FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY.
> 
> Hope you all enjoy reading! ;)

Book I: Serial Dilution

Chapter I: Something Old, Something New…

In a space between spaces, a world between worlds, one could find a Mysterious Tower in the center of a darkling wood. It was a tall and uneven structure; crooked and jagged, with multiple sections. Each separate tower that jutted from the main point, as well as said primary structure, was topped with a conical roof: colored blue and painted with imagery of moons and stars. 

In the dead of the night, a single light could be seen shining from the tallest room in the Mysterious Tower; it was ethereal and shimmering, with a peculiar pale green hue – like the light of a firefly trapped within a green bottle, flickering desperately as they try to escape. The unsettling gleam game from an equally unsettling source: within the Tower, one found a dark chamber, the only light coming from the twinkling stars that shone through the large windows (shaped in much the same way), and the greenish-white light, which came from a candle set upon a human skull. The skull was placed atop a long, oak table, at which was set a huge armchair, more like a throne, with an unusually high back…

…And standing between this plush seat and the great table was a tall and wizened figure, garbed a long, blue robe, that was lined with crimson fabric. Perched atop his balding gray head was a pointed blue hat, which bore a striking resemblance to the roof of his tower, decorated once more with the imagery of the night sky. A long, gray beard hung from his chin and past his chest, though he bore no moustache to match it. An aquiline nose was matched by two large, dark, piercing eyes of deepest ebony; the irises were such a startling shade of black, you could hardly discern them from the pupils, giving the face an intense, focused, almost hawk-like visage. Bushy gray eyebrows crinkled on a furrowed brow, as long, bony hands waved and curled through the smoke that drifted into the air from the greenish flames of the candle. The wiry fingers and heavy palms seemed to mold the smoke like clay as it drifted higher and higher…

The Sorcerer lifted his old hands higher to match the twisting wisps of smoke; steadily, the smoke began to change color from a greenish-gray that matched the candlelight…to shades of black, red, and gold. Suddenly the smoke seemed to stop in place, as if it had struck an invisible wall about a yard or two over the aging mage’s head…then, it began to expand and stretch, the rich colors beginning to reposition and find patterns, taking shape. A small head with pointed ears formed, along with two yellows eyes, and great, scalloped wings…the imagery of a bat. But the bat was only visible for a second or two, for with another dramatic wave of his hand, the Sorcerer mumbled some arcane chant…

…And the bat shifted, becoming fuller, less gaunt and unsettling, the wings sloping downwards and having more roundness, the ears thinning out and stretching, the eyes warping…till, at long last, where once had been a haunting image of a night-dweller, there now, in the shadows of that ancient laboratory, hovered the beautiful picture of a Monarch Butterfly.

The Sorcerer smiled a peaceful yet proud sort of smile, hands relaxing slightly as he admired the beauty he had created…

…But his tranquility was short-lived.

The Sorcerer’s expression fell suddenly, and his brow furrowed once more…as if he sensed something was…not quite right. Something was amiss, unfinished, perhaps…

ZAM!

The Sorcerer nearly jumped, his hands falling as one arm fell to cover his face, the candlight suddenly flashing to life like a roaring bonfire, and the smoke suddenly glowing with the intensity of the Sun. He peeked out, teeth gritted and eyes squinting…

…And found the image of the butterfly had been ruined, the wings once again becoming scalloped…but instead of a bat of red and gold, they had taken the shape of a dark and powerful dragon, with black scales and green eyes, surrounded by purple smoke as it roared to the heavens. The dragon flapped its wings, and the image of a Sun appeared over its head: shining with radiant hope and happiness, a symbol of new life, of both power and freedom – the perfect image of purest light.

The dragon snarled, and stretched its great jaws wide. Its long neck snapped out, and it lunged at the Sun…

…And swallowed it in one bite.

Then, the smoke began to swirl violently, like a whirlwind: laughter filled the room, as voices came from the purple tornado; flashes of gold accompanied each voice, as if the light was desperately trying to break free of the darkness that was suffocating it…

“No matter how many times you save the world…”

“In Living Color…!”

“I’m Almost There…!”

“All that I have to say has already crossed your mind…”

“I’ll save my home and family…”

“I’m afraid that most of your conclusions were erroneous...”

“You got what you wanted; you lost what you had…!”

“We have to find them…!”

“Fifteen Years Too Late…”

Then, the purple smoke unfurled like a cape…and the Sorcerer found himself staring into a giant pair of huge, icy blue eyes: they were filled with pain, fury, insanity…

Darkness.

“YOU BOTH PROMISED!”

To stop the madness, the Sorcerer thrust out his hands and flexed his long finger. With a shrill scream, like the howls of a lost soul, the smoke seemed to be drawn back into the candle…which extinguished in an instant, as if it had never been lit at all.

The wise old wizard rose to his feet unsteadily, and breathed heavily as he leaned against his table gripping it tightly…then sighed quietly and closed his eyes.

“I’m beginning to think I’m getting too old for this…”  
The following day, three unusual figures climbed the stairs of the Mysterious Tower, heading towards the Sorcerer’s chambers. To the right stood a short and stout figure, perhaps just clearing four feet in height: it appeared to be an anthropomorphic white duck (of all things), with a yellow-orange bill and webbed feet, and wide, dark blue eyes. He was dressed in a blue jacket with golden lining, and matching golden bracelets, along with a beret-like blue hat, which – for some odd reason – had a silver zipper running across it. In his feathery hands, he carried a crooked black-and-blue staff, topped with an ornament in the shape of a brown wizard’s hat, and with a ruby-studded ferrule at the other end.

To the left stood a much taller figure, with a lean and lanky build, including gangly arms and clear bowlegs that ended in very large feet.. He appeared to be some sort of anthropomorphic floppy-eared canine, with black fur and a tan muzzle, and pronounced buckteeth that gave the bright, happy smile on his face a sort of dopey look. His eyes were dark green, and his long snout ended in a large, black, almost clownish nose. Atop his head was perched a peculiar, tall hat of yellow, with a blue hatband, and goggles wrapped around his crown. On his person, he wore a green turtleneck and black vest, along with white kid gloves, and a pair of yellow and orange pants. His shovel-blade-sized feet were covered by orange shoes with steel toes. Slung about his back was a blue and gold circular shield, about the size of a small sled, with the image of a stylized mouse head in its center.

Taking center stage between these odd animals was the third figure. He was a young man, in his mid-to-late teenaged years, dressed in an unusual costume of black and red, including a hooded short-sleeved jacket, a tank top shirt, trousers that barely reached past his knees, and fingerless gloves. On his feet were rather heavy-looking yellow-and-black boots. The boy had bright blue eyes, and messy, wavy brown hair that had been styled into a flattened out “spiky” appearance. A silver necklace with a pendant in the shape of a crown was clasped about his throat. 

“I wonder what Master Yen Sid wants,” he murmured as he lifted his arms and placed them behind his head, even as he continued to walk. 

“Well, Sora,” said the dog, in a voice as dopey as his smile, scratching the side of his head thoughtfully, “He had to have called us here for something.”

“Goofy!” the duck snapped, in a strange, quacking voice, “Of COURSE he called us here for something! He can’t have called us here for NOTHING, after all!”

The dog blinked, as if he hadn’t considered that, then let out a chortling laugh.

“A-Hyuck! Gawrsh, that’s a good point, Donald!”

The duck snorted huffily and continued to march on.

Sora smiled and rolled his eyes at his friends’ antics.

It wasn’t long before they reached the laboratory of Yen Sid. The trio quickly straightened up their appearance, and Sora moved to open the door…

“Sora!” Donald snapped, and the teenager nearly jumped away from the door, startled. “Be polite!”

“Wh-wha…?”

“You should knock first!” Goofy explained cheerfully.

Sora smiled sheepishly.

“Oh. Right, he, uh…might be busy…”

Sora knocked. For a little while, there was silence…then came a voice as old as the tides and as cold as the North Wind.

“Come in.”

Sora pushed open the door and he and the pair entered the room.

Yen Sid was seated at his long table; the gray-bearded sorcerer did not smile as the trio entered, but there was a twinkle in his eye that indicated he was pleased to see them.

“Welcome, my young friends,” intoned Yen Sid. “It has been a while.”

The three stood before the sorcerer’s desk, and snapped to attention like a trio of soldiers.

“Always an honor, Master,” Goofy nodded, stiffly.

“A pleasure, too,” added Donald.

“How can we help?” Sora asked…trembling slightly, a constant mantra of Respect, Respect, Respect playing in his head.

This actually did illicit a small smirk from the former Keyblade Master, who rolled his eyes and waved his hands in a placating gesture. The three immediately relaxed into an “at ease” position.

“I wish I could say I simply called to check on you all and your wellbeing,” Master Yen Sid said. “But I am afraid nothing quite so simple or pleasant is on my mind.”

He paused impressively…then folded his hands in his lap, and bowed his head, eyes closed; a troubled look crossed the old wizard’s face.

“I have had a vision,” he said, his voice barely a murmur, hissing through the room. “A vision of the darkness once more attempting to consume the light.”

“Oh, not again,” mumbled Sora, sounding more annoyed than anything else. Donald and Goofy nudged his sides and he flinched, then smiled somewhat sheepishly.

Yen Sid could only chuckle, but there was little mirth to it.

“I know I ask far too much of you all,” he went on, “But your experience in these matters, and with our particular foe, makes you the finest group to deal with the problem at hand.”

He paused again, and took a breath.

“I believe that Maleficent has returned once more.”

Donald and Goofy gulped.

Sora’s fists clenched.

“What does she want this time?” he asked, quietly, in a slightly shaky voice.

“I cannot say,” admitted Yen Sid, then glanced towards the skull and candle on his table. “My vision was…unclear.”

The trio looked to one another, rather concerned, then back to the Sorcerer.

“There is something stirring in the worlds beyond. Something that is old and yet new at the same time; Maleficent is a threat you have all dealt with before, but there is more to this…a new threat on the horizon.”

“Who is it?” Sora asked.

“What is it?” Goofy thought to add.

Yen Sid shook his head slowly, looking almost troubled by his own uncertainty.

“There is but one thing I can gleam from my vision; one thing that I know must be the focus of your investigation…”

He looked back towards the three.

“…Your journey must begin in the Kingdom of the Sun.”

Goofy and Donald looked to each other.

“Kingdom…”

“…Of the Sun?”

“Do you mean Corona?” Sora thought to ask. “Where we met Rapunzel?”

Yen Sid nodded.

“Then Maleficent must know about the New Hearts of Light!” the teen exclaimed. “Do you think she could be trying to gather them, like the first time she tried to take over?”

“Perhaps. Perhaps not. Whatever she is planning, whoever you must meet there, that is where your travels must start. Seek a shadow in a world of sunlight. Follow your heart from there,” Yen Sid answered, cryptically, then rose to his feet and waved a hand imperiously. “Go forth; I will not lie to you, but warn you this adventure may be one of the most dangerous you’ve yet to undertake.”

“After Xehanort,” mumbled Donald, “I doubt that.”

He went quiet at a look from Sora and Goofy.

“We won’t fail you, Master,” Sora said with a nod. “We’ll stop that witch!”

And without another word, the three turned away and began to walk out of the Tower…

“Sora!”

Sora paused and turned back as Yen Sid called back to him. The great mage once again focused on the skull-candle, even as he spoke to the lad.

“I have one last thing to warn you of: Beware of Promises You Cannot Keep.”

Sora blinked and tilted his head.

“Why wouldn’t I keep a promise?” he asked, plainly.

“Why wouldn’t anyone?” Yen Sid responded, and it was hard to tell if he was trying to clue Sora in, or simply speaking rhetorically. He did not elaborate further, but simply waved his hand again.

Sora, still confused, shut the door to his laboratory, and hurried to catch up with Donald and Goofy.

“Well, all that was kinda vague,” muttered Goofy, scratching his head again.

“What do you think Maleficent is up to?” Sora asked. “I thought she and Pete were still looking for that Black Box.”

“Maybe they found it,” Donald quacked, grimly.

“Gawrsh, I hope not,” Goffy shuddered.

“Well, we won’t find out what’s going on standing around here,” Sora said, and waved his friends to follow him as he began to pick up the pace. “Looks like we have another quest, guys! Corona, Here We Come!”


	2. Book I, Chapter II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our heroes arrive in the Kingdom of Corona, and are soon introduced to a major player in the events of our tale...

Book I: Serial Dilution

Chapter II: Kingdom of the Sun

Winter had come to the Kingdom of Corona. At first glance, however, you might not know it. the leaves of autumn still covered the ground, and the realm was so full of evergreens, especially in the more mountainous and hilly regions, that it remained bright and plentiful virtually all year round. The glorious Sun from which the kingdom took its name was as bright and majestic as ever, and bathed all the world in a golden glow, even as it peeked between grayish clouds, which looked for all the world like silver cushions, upon which the sunlight rested its weary head. As it had to shine day in and day out, with only a few hours rest, one could hardly blame it.

Out of the clouds, like a falling star, came something very strange from the skies of Corona that day: a peculiar flying craft, which seemed to be made out of red and gold, rubbery-textured blocks, with a glassy blue-tinted dome in the cockpit. As it flew from the sky, the craft seemed to wobble and swerve the closer and closer it came to the ground…

…Then, in the forest beyond the kingdom’s capital, one would see the craft suddenly take an abrupt nosedive…before abruptly crashing to the ground. It skidded several yards across the forest floor before banging into a sturdy tree, at which point one could hear the hum and whirr of an engine being shut down…

…Then, a few moments later, the familiar figures of Sora, Donald, and Goofy all but tumbled out of the Gummi Ship. All three groaned, rather dizzy, and grabbed onto the first solid object they saw; Sora leaned back against the ship, Donald clutched onto a low-hanging branch from another tree…and Goofy flopped over and wrapped his arms around a boulder.

“…Okay…so…what have we learned?” Sora gasped out. “Answer: Never. EVER. Let Goofy Drive.”

Goofy let out a laugh – “A-Hyuck!” – and smiled loopily. Donald moaned, eyes spinning, and shook his head fast.

“Never. Again,” he quacked in agreement.

By and by, the trio regained their faculties, and got to their feet, looking around the woods. Sora stepped away from the ship towards a clearing in the trees, and looked out in the distance. He smiled as he saw the familiar sight of the Castle of Corona far off in the distance: a glistening jewel on an island in the center of a clear blue sea. Donald and Goofy soon stepped to his side and looked out with him.

“Just as purty as I remember it,” Goofy smiled.

“Nothing SEEMS to be wrong,” Donald muttered.

“Maybe Master Yen Sid was wrong?” Sora suggested.

Donald and Goofy looked at each other, then shook their heads.

“Gwarsh…he’s never been wrong before,” Goofy said.

“We should find Rapunzel,” Donald insisted. “Maybe she can help us.”

“Well, they’d be at the castle,” Sora murmured, crossing his arms and looking down thoughtfully. “It’s a long way from here, but I guess that is the best-”

“AAAAGH!”

The sudden cry of fear caused all three to jump. They heard a commotion from somewhere not so far ahead, and the sound of trees and bushes rustling.

“Come on!” Sora urged the others, and ran towards the source of the sound. His friends glanced at each other, shrugged, and followed as fast as they could.

The trio hopped over a log and pushed past bushes, till they came to what seemed to be a dirt road that rand in something of an S-Shape through a section of the forest. As they moved into the clear spot where the road began, they glanced around, pausing to check their direction… 

And then, bounding up the road, came a raccoon. It had dark gray eyes that matched its thick, gray-and-black fur. The plump little critter panted and glanced about with fright, as if seeking a place to hide, its tail twitching frantically as its ears drooped back.

It soon noticed Sora, Donald, and Goofy, and its eyes widened. It chattered loudly, and ran over to them…ducking behind Sora’s legs and whimpering as it hid behind him.

“H-Huh?!” the Keyblade Wielder gasped out nearly tripping on the animal. “Hey…c-careful, little guy! What’s got you…?”

“Sora! Look!” quacked Donald, as Goofy suddenly lowered into a battle-ready stance and prepare his shield.

Sora glanced up in a flash…and found a dark and mysterious figure running towards them. It was shorter than Sora, though not by much, and completely clad in dark clothes, dressed in a heavy black coat and what looked like thick, rubber-lined gloves and boots. A mask not unlike that of a welder covered its face, and two green lights shone from where the eyes were, the rest of the mask blank and emotionless as the figure charged toward them.

In a flash, Donald lifted his staff, as if ready to attack. Sora narrowed his eyes and swung out an arm. With a flick of his wrist, there was a flash of light…and the Keyblade materialized in his hand.

“STAY BACK!” he yelled.

As Sora dropped into a fighting stance, his weapon at the ready, the figure skidded to a stop…

…And then suddenly – and quite clumsily – tripped and fell onto its backside.

“GYAH!” the figure yowled in an unusually high-pitched, squeaky sort of voice behind the mask, and then held out a hand. “W-Wait! Don’t hurt me! I…ah…I’ve g-got nothing to give you! No gold, or…I dunno…jewelry – are you jewelry thieves? Doesn’t matter! Nothin’ on me! Nope! I mean…I got my alchemy belt, but…y-you wouldn’t want that right? R-Right?”

The voice became a whimper.

“Please…p-please don’t take my alchemy belt,” it pleaded, like a child afraid of having their favorite toy thrown away.

The trio gaped, and looked to each other, then back at the craven figure in black.

“Uhhhh…weren’t you just chasing the raccoon?” Sora asked slowly.

The figure tilted its head…and then lifted its mask, revealing the face beneath. The figure was nothing more than a teenaged boy – he seemed a couple years younger than Sora, if even that – with a freckled face and pinkish, upturned nose. He had a pronounced overbite and moppish black hair with bangs; a single streak of teal went through part of his hairdo.

His eyes were a bright baby blue, and wide as plates as he blinked at the three.

“Chasing the…? That’s my PET!” he protested, then looked to the raccoon with a concerned expression. “Buddy, y-you okay!”

The raccoon let out a chittering sound and nodded. Sora glanced to the little animal, then back at the boy, who was starting to stand up unsteadily.

“Were you the one screaming a little bit ago?” the teenaged warrior asked.

“Y-Yeah, there’s some-”

He paused…and blinked as he seemingly noticed Donald and Goofy for the first time.

“…Ummmm…wh-why are you dressed like a dog and a duck?” he asked, blandly, then suddenly seemed scared again. “Wait…y-you are thieves, aren’t you?! The masks, I-ohhh, as if my luck couldn’t get any-”

“We’re not in masks!” Donald snorted.

The boy’s jaw dropped.

“…You…you just talked. And your mouth moved. You just…ARE YOU A REAL DUCK?!”

“Of course he’s a real duck!” laughed Goofy. The boy abruptly squealed and flailed his arms, jumping up and slamming back-first into a nearby tree.

“Talking…talking dog…there’s a talking dog…walking on two legs…o-oh boy…”

“Trust me, don’t question it,” Sora suggested, waving a hand dismissively.

“I question everything!” the other teen rapped back. 

The raccoon rolled its eyes and sighed, shaking its head at its apparent owner’s ridiculousness…

…Then it let out a frightened chatter and ducked back behind Sora again. The four others present all turned to see what had scared the coon…

…And that’s when they saw them: half a dozen dark figures, all about as tall as Donald, dressed in dark blue trousers, curly-toed shoes, and oversized silver helmets, which did nothing to hide their glowing, empty yellow eyes. As they came clumsily galloping up the road, one could see they bared huge red claws, the size of kitchen knives…and across their chest was emblazoned the image of a heart, with a scarlet X-shape through it.

“Heartless!” gasped Sora, and lifted his keyblade again.

The teenaged boy yelped, and dove behind a tree, whimpering and quivering. 

“L-LEAVE ME ALONE!” he shouted at the Heartless. “I do NOT taste good, okay?!”

The Heartless evidently didn’t agree, as they began to lumber towards the freckle-faced youth…

…But Sora quickly barred their way.

“We’ve got this,” he called over his shoulder to the boy, and swung his keyblade around his head. Two of the six Heartless jumped away from the strike, and a third pounced toward him like a feral cat. 

Sora dodged to the side, the Soldier Heartless landing on all fours. It got to its feet and whirled around…but before it could try and take so much as a swipe at him, the Keyblade Master slashed the blade upwards slash. The Soldier let out a serpentine hiss, and vanished in a cloud of black mist.

Another Heartless charged at Sora from behind, its claws ready to slash at him…but Donald was quick to react. He thrust his staff into the air and gave it a twirl. Four fireworks suddenly appeared in mid-air. Donald pointed his staff at the Heartless, and the colorful rockets shot fourth.

“GET READY!” he called out, and his cry distracted the shadowy imp, which turned just in time to see the missiles blasting towards it…

BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG!

That was the end of the second Heartless.

While Sora and Donald were busy, another Heartless rushed at Goofy. The clumsy but courageous knight yelped comically, bouncing back as it swiped at him with its talons once, twice, thrice…

Finally, Goofy put some distance between him and the Heartless. He narrowed his eyes, reeled back, and hurled his shield like a discus. The Soldier ducked the strike, and started to run at the knight again…

SWANG!

The shield swerved back like a boomerang, and struck the Heartless through its middle. It vanished into darkness before it could even so much as scratch the knight, who caught his shield deftly. 

The boy behind the tree’s expression changed from fear to interest as he peeked out a bit. His raccoon soon ran over to his side and bumped against his leg. The teen picked up the coon and held it to his chest, then bit his lip as he quietly watched his saviors take on the remaining Heartless.

Another Heartless charged towards Goofy, who held out his shield as it swiped at him, the crimson claws scraping against the steel surface with a sickening sound. The shield-bearer thrust out his weapon(?) of choice, pushing the Heartless back. The clumsy little monster stumbled back, trying to regain balance…at which point Goofy whirled about with surprising speed, shield out in front of him, moving like a tornado towards the Shadow. Startled, it tried to turn and run…but it was just too slow. The shield’s edge met its mark, and the fourth Soldier was no more.

Another Heartless tried to take a swipe at Donald. Donald managed to block the strike with his staff, and sighed with some relief; he wasn’t used to direct combat. He narrowed his eyes and muttered something under his breath…and a moment later, a strange purple sphere formed around the Soldier. The Soldier’s claws pulled away, and it thrashed for a moment, as if trying to break free from some unseen force that was pulling it back as it seemed to fall to the ground, as if kicked by an invisible opponent…

…Then, the Gravity Sphere compacted in on itself, and the Heartless let out a short, hissing screech, curling up tighter and tighter and tighter…before vanishing into dust and smoke like the rest as the sphere imploded and disappeared.

Donald smirked and twirled his staff, flashing a smug smile.

“Still got it!”

Only one of the Heartless now remained; it seemed uneasy as it eyed the three…then tried to turn tail and run.

“I got ‘im!” Sora called to the others, and pointed his keyblade towards the fleeing shadow. A sphere of blue-white light formed at the tip of the Kingdom Key…then, a flurry of ice crystals shot from the sword’s point and rushed towards the escaping Soldier.

CRRRRRACKLE!

The crystals hit their mark. In a split-second, the Heartless froze into a solid block of ice, mid-run…then THUNKed onto one side…before both the ice and the Heartless itself seemed to evaporate into nothing.

Sora smirked and nodded to himself as he rested the keyblade against his shoulder. 

“Piece o’ cake,” he chuckled to himself, brushing the knuckles of his free hand against his jacket lapel.

“O. M. Goodness.”

The three turned around as the boy and the raccoon stepped out from behind the tree. Both looked from one member of the trio to the other with wide eyes. The raccoon jumped down from his human companion’s arms, and the teen’s mouth opened and closed a few times as he removed his mask completely…revealing a pair of brass-rimmed goggles strapped to the top of his head.

“That…was…”

…The boy dropped the mask…and promptly squealed with delight bouncing into the air and laughing excitedly.

“…ONE OF THE MOST AWESOME THINGS I’VE EVER SEEN! Oh-ho-ho-HO, boy, that was SO. COOL!”

Before the three could react, the teen bounded over and ran past them. He knelt down towards the dirt road, where the Heartless had been standing. He picked up some of the dirt in his fingertips and ground it between his forefinger and thumb. A bucktoothed smile painted his face as his baby blue eyes glittered with pure joy and energy.

“Fascinating…not a sign of them,” he murmured, then stood up again and clapped his hands together, all but dancing in place as he gushed. “I mean, WOW, the Princess told me you were super-good fighters, but MAN, she was understating it! Ha Ha! S-Seriously, Flynn Rider HIMSELF probably doesn’t have fighting moves like that! Just…”

He paused for a moment and began gesticulating wildy, making various noises to imitate the swiping of the Keyblade, the spinning of the shield, and the effects of the magic staff. 

“…So. Freaking. EPIC,” he finished, and laughed breathlessly, wiping a tear from his eye. “S-So beautiful. Really.”

The three Warriors of Light – needless to say – didn’t really know how to react to all this. Donald lifted a finger as if to speak…but after opening and closing his own mouth a few times, found no words came to him. Goofy blushed and shuffled his feet, chuckling bashfully at all the praise. Sora, for his part, just…sort of stared, slack-jawed and bug-eyed.

“…I’m…uh…I-I’m sorry, back up,” he finally said, lifting the hand that no longer held the keyblade in a “stop” gesture. “Did…you said you knew the princess and Flynn Rider?”

“Ah, ha-ha, no, I KNOW them,” corrected the lad, waving a hand through the air. “Rapunzel an’ I are, like, total BFFs! Well…um…actually, no, that’s not true. And it…uh…sounds kinda lame, so, no. No, we’re not. BUT! B-But, I have been helping them with a lot of stuff ever since these strange Dark Creatures…what’d you call ‘em?”

“Ah…the Heartless?”

Before Donald and Goofy could scold Sora about “keeping the order,” the boy snapped his fingers.

“AH! Yes, the Heartless, THAT’S it! Huh…that definitely sounds cooler than ‘Dark Creatures,’ much more creative, ANYWAY!” he yammered on before Sora could try to butt in, “She told me she needed help dealing with these things, so I’ve been…”

He giggled rather nervously and swung his arm in a gung-ho sort of motion.

“…Just doin’ my part! Ha Ha!”

“Is that why they were chasing you?” Goofy thought to ask, slowly.

“Oh! Well, kinda,” shrugged the boy, then straightened up his coat and stood a little straighter. “See, I happen to be a man of science; an alchemist, specifically.”

“Man?” whispered Donald. Sora nudged him to be quiet.

“As such,” the teenaged alchemist went on, “I’ve been trying to study these creatures to figure out their behaviors, weaknesses, and so on…the, uh, heh…th-the only problem is they’re so…well…ah…hostile. It’s k-kinda hard to really focus on ‘em without them tryin’ to…y’know…”

He trailed off, scratching the back of his head…then suddenly froze, blinked…and smacked his own forehead.

“Ack! Oh, DUMB Varian, DUMB!” he shouted, and knelt down again towards the dirt, before pulling out a small vial from somewhere in the folds of his heavy black coat. “I should totally take some soil samples; maybe some residue here from when they ‘poofed.’ I wonder what kinda processes make that happen…?”

The trio once again looked at each other, their expressions rather blank. They glanced back to the alchemist and then huddled together quickly.

“Well, HE’S a kook,” Sora muttered.

“He’s no less of a dork than you,” teased Donald.

“I am not…!”

“Not now!” Goofy soothed with a slight chortle, before turning serious again. “The Heartless shouldn’t be here. Master Yen Sid was right, there’s something going on in this kingdom.”

“You’re right,” Sora nodded. “Now, more than ever, we have to see the Princess…”

“I can take you to her!”

All three jumped and yelped…and found the teenaged boy had suddenly popped his head in over Donald’s shoulder, smiling innocently…then his eyes lit up again as he noticed Donald’s staff. “Oooh…that’s how you made those rockets and that…weird…purple…crushy-ball thing appear. AWESOME!”

One could practically see stars in the boy’s eyes as he looked to Donald with an almost puppyish expression.

“C-Can I touch it?” he peeped.

Donald just clutched his staff tighter to his chest, protectively, and shook his head, letting out an uncomfortable squawk.

The boy immediately sobered up and stepped back a few paces.

“Oh…uh…yeah, s-sorry…I get a little, uh, overexcited.”

“We’ve noticed,” Donald groused.

The teen winced slightly, his smile turning a little bit sad.

Sora, noticing the reaction, stepped forward and smiled more encouragingly.

“Hey…you said you could take us to the Castle?”

“Oh, sure, Sora!” The teenager smiled cheerily. “I’d be happy to!”

Silence.

“How do you know my name?”

“Uh, I DID say the Princess told me about you guys, didn’t she? You’re Sora…”

He pointed to Donald.

“…That’s Donald, and the other one is Goofy,” he finished, pointing to the last of the trio.

“Gawrsh…if the Princess toldja about us, how come ya didn’t recognize us?” Goofy thought to ask.

“Well, she told me about a dog, a duck, and a guy with spiky hair…but I thought she meant, like, a NORMAL dog, and a NORMAL duck. Not…”

He gestured to their clothes.

“…You guys.” 

The trio had no idea how to react to that.

“I guess if she’d shown me her painting of you all or something, maybe I’d recognize you more easily,” the boy said. “Anyway, like I was saying, I’d be happy to take you to the city! My dad and I are actually heading there tomorrow!”

“Sounds great!” cheered Sora. “But, uh, where is your dad?”

“Oh, back home,” the teenager answered, thumbing over his shoulder. “It’s not far. And our cart is a lot faster than walking there from Old Corona, trust me. You could…you know…spend the night, maybe…th-that is if you don’t mind, heh heh…”

The boy rubbed one of his arms, shyly. Donald and Goofy opened their mouths, looking as if they were ready to refuse…

…But Sora took another step forward and pumped one fist with a wide, encouraging grin.

“That’d be great! Thanks!”

The quirky little scientist’s eyes lit up and lifted his head a bit higher.

“R-Really?! Oh, FANTASTIC!” he nearly squealed, and giddily clapped his hands. “We never, NEVER get any visitors, n-not even from the village! SLUMBER PARTY, WOO-HOO! This is gonna be-!”

He abruptly paused…and glanced around with a frown.

“Hey…uh…where did my raccoon go?”

A chatter and a tug on the lad’s pant-leg answered him. He looked down…then smirked and picked up the pudgy raccoon that smiled up at him, and carefully draped him around his shoulders. The raccoon let out a happy purring sound and nuzzled the teen’s cheek.

“Aww-ha-ha, buddy,” giggled the boy, and scratched the raccoon under the chin. “We’ve got company, don’t get all ‘cutesy’ on me now.”

Sora, Donald, and Goofy couldn’t help but laugh. The young scientist smiled back at them, then waved for them to follow as he turned away.

“C’mon, New Team Awesome! We got work to do! This way!”

“New Team Awesome?” Donald whispered.

This time it was Goofy who nudged him to be quiet.

“One minute!” Sora called out, as he hurried forward to catch up with their newfound ally. “We didn’t catch your names!”

The blue-eyed boy turned around…and smiled a bucktoothed smile, wider than ever.

“Oh! Y-Yeah, right! Ha! Well now: this,” he answered, gesturing to the raccoon on his shoulder, “Is my buddy Ruddiger. As for me?”

He winked and jabbed a thumb towards his own chest.

“My name is Varian. Think you’ll remember that?” he introduced himself, teasingly.

Goofy chuckled. Donald rolled his eyes. Sora just smirked slightly, a warm twinkle in one eye.

“Nice to meet you, Varian,” the keybearer said, sincerely. “Don’t worry: I’ll remember.”


	3. Book I, Chapter III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our heroes arrive in Old Corona, where they meet Quirin for the first time, and learn a little bit more about their new friend...

Book I: Serial Dilution

Chapter III: Old Corona

Gray skies covered the dominion of Old Corona, just as they did in the capital; the clouds seemed to be moving towards each other, preparing to meet in the middle. They seemed much more fitting to the atmosphere of the wooded mainland, which sat at the very edge of a huge stone wall, which marked the border between the Kingdom of Corona and the neighboring lands of its world.

Old Corona, not so very long ago, had been a prosperous farming community. Nestled in the woods and with a lovely river running through and around it, the land here was plentiful, and its people content and happy. It was a quiet, peaceful spot, where many were set in their old ways, and preferred to live their lives in serene and humble comfort. Orchards, cornstalks, and a great number of livestock once dotted the landscape. Aside from occasional "critter problems," due to their literal neck of the woods, the people had never had much reason to complain.

That was not the Old Corona one would have found now as they entered the area. At first glance, it still seemed quite serene…but the closer you got, the more you realized it was perhaps TOO serene. Precious few people were found outdoors, and those that were around seemed to constantly glance over their shoulders. Several homes were in an obvious state of disrepair; at the start, you might believe this was simply due to age or lack of proper care, but the visible claw marks, burn patterns, and other things that dotted several homes indicated this was far from the case.

One such paranoid peasant was a little man in a green tunic and brown trousers; he appeared to be in his sixties, with brown hair streaked markedly with gray and even a few thin slivers of sheer white. His eyes were droopy and squinty, with dark brown irises. He was just putting away some tools, hobbling a little as he went about his business outside his hut. He glanced towards the small the pen that had once held all his chickens, and sighed dismally: nothing but feathers remained.

"Varian? Varian!"

The old man looked up as he heard a familiar voice coming down the main street. A moment later, the owner came in sight: a tall, burly man with a square jaw and straight nose. He, too, had matching eyes (currently colored with some worry), and had matching brown hair, well-combed…which unfortunately emphasized his receding hairline. He seemed a little younger than the green-garbed peasant, and his clothes seemed a bit more well-to-do, though not by much: he wore a burgundy tunic, over which was a fur-lined brown vest, and black leather workgloves on his huge, muscular hands. The gloves matched the black boots on his feet, which were nearly indistinguishable from the black trousers he wore, and in turn matched the black belt strapped about his waist. He had a five-o'-clock shadow of stubble on his strong chin, and there was a strange, sleepy sort of quality to the eyes that made him seem older than he likely really was.

The middle-aged fellow spotted the short man and called out to him: "Peter! Have you seen Varian anywhere?"

The older man scowled deeply.

"If you mean that menace of a child, why should I have WANTED to see him anywhere?" the old man snapped back.

The middle-aged man's eyes narrowed.

"That's uncalled for, Peter," he responded, in a warning sort of tone.

"I'm entitled to my opinion, Quirin!" Peter snapped back. "That boy is dangerous! I wouldn't be surprised if these Dark Creatures were the result of one of his hairbrained schemes!"

Quirin glared darkly.

"My son," he said, icily, "Has nothing to do with our current misfortune."

"Well, what does?!" Peter asked, now taking on an almost pleading tone. "Quirin, those things could pop up at any time! What are we supposed to do? We can't-"

Quirin lifted a hand to silence the older man.

"We need to remain calm and rational," the old knight said, soothingly. "That's one place to start. Panic will get us nowhere."

Peter paused…then sighed and smiled wearily.

"I'm sorry, Quirin," he apologized, quietly. "I didn't mean to…"

"It's fine," Quirin answered, somewhat testily, but smiled back. "Be safe."

The two men thus parted ways, as Peter went back into his house, and Quirin continued to call out for his son.

"Varian! Where are you?"

"Dad!"

Quirin looked up…and sighed with relief as he spotted Varian – with Ruddiger perched upon his shoulders, dressed in his dark jacket – trotting towards him. The large man bent down on one knee as the boy ran over and gave him a hug.

"There you are!" he exclaimed. "What have you…?"

The strong man froze and slowly stood up, releasing his son, who turned with a bright-eyed smile towards the ones his father was now looking at: a strange boy with spiky hair…an oversized duck in a blue beret…and what looked like a bizarre cross between a bloodhound and a scarecrow.

"Um…Varian…who are these…people?" he finally decided on the words to use.

"Oh! Ah, Dad," Varian chirruped, practically skipping back towards the three, as Ruddiger stood on his shoulders and swung out his paws dramatically to introduce them: "These are Sora, Donald, and Goofy. They're, uh, friends of the princess."

"Pleased to meet you, sir," Sora smiled, stepping forward and extending a hand.

Quirin moved closer, his face blank and emotionless. He glanced towards Sora's extended hand and then his face. The teenaged keyblade master winced slightly, but kept his smile in place, trying to look welcoming before the imposing older man…

…Quirin finally smiled and took Sora's hand firmly (but not crushingly so), and gave it a brisk shake.

"A friend of the princess is a friend of mine. I'm Sir Quirin, Vassal of Old Corona," he grunted, then tilted his head. "Why are you all here?"

"Your son led us here," Sora answered, stepping back. "We, uh…just happened to be in the neighborhood."

"Lucky for him we were!" Donald sniggered. "Seemed like he was having some trouble!"

Varian's eyes widened, and he gave Donald a "shushing" gesture, while Ruddiger made desperate throat-slicing motions…but it was naturally too late.

"Trouble?" Quirin repeated, then looked to Varian with a frown. "Son…?"

Varian gulped a bit nervously, then rubbed his arm sheepishly.

"I was…I was just out…researching-"

"Varian. Were you trying to…study those Dark Creatures again?" Quirin asked in a slow, dangerous voice.

Even Sora, Donald, and Goofy flinched slightly at the tone; if you, oh dearest reader, know anyone who can resist the intimidating power of the "dad voice," I'd like for you to introduce them to me.

Varian, clearly, was not such a person; he winced, as if he'd been physically struck, and bit his lip before answering.

"…I just…I'm just trying to help…"

"The last time you tried to help, you nearly blew up the entire village," Quirin answered blandly.

The eyes of the three Champions of Light widened and they glanced to each other with some alarm. They were even more alarmed when the conversation continued as if this was an everyday occurrence.

"I'm sorry! Just…I've been trying to figure out a weakness; I'm working on a chemical compound that I think could-"

"I've told you NOT to wander off; you should know better than to try and get anywhere NEAR those things!"

"I know, I know, I know!" Varian almost begged, "But…Dad, they're not going away, and the attacks are coming faster now, SOMETHING has to be done!"

"Something will be done. Tomorrow."

"Oh, I know that, too!" Varian exclaimed…then gestured towards the trio again, who took a slight step back as they were drawn back into the argument. "That's, ah, why I thought they could go with you! Dad, maybe they can help us!"

Quirin looked back up at Sora and the group. He narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.

"Is that so?"

"We, ah…we need to see the Princess, ourselves," Sora decided to say.

"Yer son said maybe you could give us a ride," Goofy put in.

"And that we could spend the night," Sora added.

"Ah, that is, if it's not too much trouble!" Donald thought to qualify, hastily.

"No trouble at all," Quirin said, rather kindly, then added: "But I think His Majesty and myself can manage here, at least."

"If you're sure," Sora said carefully.

"Uh…dad?"

All eyes turned back to Varian.

"Yes, son?"

"I, ah…heh heh…I can come, too…"

His eyes became very wide and almost glassy as he looked up to his father.

"…Right?"

Quirin squirmed and mumbled something under his breath about (the only words Sora and company caught were "…your mother's eyes…"), and smiled after a moment.

"Very well. You can travel with me."

The trio glanced to one another again, eyebrows raised; the young alchemist had made it sound as if he was going to be traveling anyway. As if asking for permission wasn't strange enough, why did Quirin seem so…hesitant?

Varian, however, took no notice. He blinked and looked quite surprised, as Ruddiger clambered down off his shoulders. The pair looked at each other, then back at Quirin.

"W-Wow…really?" Varian squeaked.

Quirin's smile widened, and he nodded.

Varian beamed.

"Yes! YES!" he squealed, and began to dance happily, singing out his joy, while Ruddiger clapped his paws giddily. "ROAD TRIIIIP! VARIAN AND DAD ARE GOIN' TO SEE THE KIIIING!"

Then, with the same exuberance, Varian gasped, and rubbed his hands together gleefully.

"I," he proclaimed, with absolute seriousness, "Will pack Ham Sandwiches. BE RIGHT BACK!"

And without another word, the boy ran off, Ruddiger wagging his bushy tail behind him. Quirin chuckled softly and shook his head as he watched the lad dash off.

"Is he…always like this?" Donald thought to pipe up.

"Most always," shrugged Quirin, then looked back at them. "There's not much room on the wagon; you'll need to sit in the back when we depart."

"We've had worse," Sora said with a shrug and a smile…which faded quickly. "Uh…Sir?"

"Quirin."

"Quirin…you say the Heart-er, the Black Creatures have been attacking here a lot recently?"

Qurin's face sobered, and he looked back over his shoulder towards the ruined houses beyond.

"No one has been hurt yet, or worse," he said, but his grim tone indicated the unspoken words: That can't last forever.

"We'll be glad to help in any way we can," Goofy offered.

"I appreciate that," Quirin said, then tilted his head. "Well?"

The question had been directed at Sora. He blinked a few times…then tilted his own head. "Well what?"

Quirin rolled his eyes.

"I can tell there's some questions in your head. You can ask, if you want."

Sora paused, looking somewhat embarrassed…then finally spoke his mind.

"You said…something about…er…blowing up the village?"

"One of Varian's experiments," Quirin answered, then turned away again, looking pensive. "I care for my son deeply. You have to understand that. But he's over-eager; he doesn't always plan things out fully, or makes mistakes that lead to disaster. Some people even think he's a threat. He never means harm, but…"

"You worry he might go too far."

Quirin nodded, with a wry smile.

"It's why I usually don't have him travel with me. I'm actually glad you three will be coming with us. If you can help defend us from those Creatures on the way to the capital, it would mean a lot."

"We'll do what we can," Sora promised.

"Well, for a start, could you help Varian prepare whatever he needs to?" Quirin asked, and then pointed off in the distance. The trio looked off in the direction he had pointed…

…And found themselves staring at an old brownstone castle – not as magnificent or opulent as the one in the main kingdom. It was aged and Gothic looking; in the gloomy gray light, it seemed almost sinister.

"That's where you live?" blinked Donald.

"Yep," Quirin said, shortly.

"Well, it's…nice in a 'I wish I'd said goodbye to Riku & Kairi before I came here' way," muttered Sora.

"We get that a lot," Quirin shrugged, unaffected, then turned on his heel and began to march off. "I need to tend to my pumpkin patch. I'll trust you all to make yourselves at home without causing trouble. Whatever you do, don't touch the Flynnolium."

The three watched Quirin go…then looked back to the castle…then to each other.

"Flynnolium?" they murmured in unison.

If the exterior of the Old Corona Castle was unnerving, then Varian's laboratory was no less unsettling. As Sora, Donald, and Goofy stepped into the teenager's workshop, they felt they had stepped into a scene straight out of Frankenstein. On one side of the room was a drafting table: papers and books were stacked or propped up, with a few select notes and drawings tacked to the wall. To the other side was a table apparently used for mechanical work; hammers, screwdrivers, and other such tools were all laid out. All around the place were shelves and bookcases, covered in glass containers; some were empty, others were not; fluids, powders, and crystal salts were all set out in every color of the rainbow, from aquamarine to chartreuse. The centerpiece of all this was a long table with a magnificent chemistry set on it, along with various other tools that almost looked like instruments of torture. The whole space was lit by gas lamps from the ceiling (which appeared to have been homemade – perhaps Varian had invented them?) and a small alcove with a large curtain was found in one corner.

The trio stepped through the door into the laboratory.

"Varian?" Sora called out.

"Varian!" Donald shouted, when there was no immediate response.

"Gawrsh," muttered Goofy. "Maybe he's not here after-"

FAH-PSH!

Out of nowhere, a cloud of pinkish-purple mist surrounded the trio. They coughed and fanned the stuff away from their faces – it smelled, oddly enough, like bubble gum – and then tried to move away from it…

…Only to find they couldn't.

The trio looked down…and found that a strange, gummy, gooey substance had stuck up their feet, adhering them to the stone floor of the laboratory.

"WWWWAAAAAAK!" Donald cried out, and frantically began bouncing around to try and get free. "HEY! LEMME OUTTA THIS STUFF!"

Goofy tried to pull himself free, then – "YOW-WO-WO-WOAH!" – flopped right onto his face and groaned.

Sora just sighed and facepalmed.

"Booby Traps. Of course. Of course he has booby traps."

"Ahhh…actually, that's a Raccoon Trap. Ruddiger's not the only one around, after all."

All three looked as Varian entered the workshop from a side door…removing a kitchen apron covered in pink polka dots.

"Sorry!" he chirped with a shy smile, slinging the apron onto the back of a chair. "Ha ha ha…I, uh…I DID say I'd be making ham sandwiches. Just now put them in the icebox for tomorrow."

The young alchemist stepped fully into the lab and crossed the room to his mechanical workbench, placing the basket down next to a small handsaw. He had removed the dark coat the trio had met him in, and they could now see his more typical garb. Varian still had the goggles and the thick gloves and boots they'd seen him wearing before, but now they were accompanied by a dark maroon apron with multiple pockets that festooned his front. Underneath the apron, the youth wore a sky blue smock, with the collar turned up and the sleeves rolled up past his elbows. His bottom half was clad in a pair of brown trousers, which seemed to have a few stains and even burn marks at the edges; clearly the apron didn't ALWAYS help…or perhaps, since the apron seemed relatively clean, he had only recently acquired it.

"You must have activated the trip wire when you came in," Varian grinned, looking quite proud of himself. "Makes for a good burglar-catcher, too, don'tcha think?"

"Yeah. Great," Donald groused. "Now GET US OUTTA HERE!"

Varian giggled and patted down the pockets of his alchemy apron. Sora idly wondered what the point had been in wearing one apron over another…but ultimately decided, with Varian, perhaps it was best not to question.

"Okay, okay, keep your shirt on! Where is that neutralizing particle…? Aha!"

Varian pulled what looked like a salt shaker out of his apron and approached the group. He raised an eyebrow and waggled it in the air for a moment, as if to show off…then knelt down and shook what seemed like a bunch of small yellow crystals onto the gummy goop that held the group in place. There was a soft "fizzing" sound, and yellowish smoke with a lemon pepper smell drifted up…then, the goop seemed to evaporate away, as if it had never been there at all.

"I am SO sorry," Varian apologized with a light chuckle as he stood up.

"It's okay," Sora said, then smiled. "Actually, that's kind of a cool trick!"

"Says you," grumbled Donald, as Goofy just smiled and brushed himself off without a word.

"You…y-you really think so?" Varian asked, looking stunned.

"Well, yeah!" Sora chuckled. "I mean…it doesn't hurt anyone, and it's something that works well, and I can't think of anybody else who'd make something like that. I'd say it's pretty neat!"

"Oh! W-Well, if you think that's something cool, you should see something else I have cooking up!" Varian twittered, brushing his blue-striped hair out of his face…then paused and added in a hushed voice, lifting his hands in a subduing gesture. "But, uh, y-you have to keep it a secret. Okay? My dad would, like, totally flip out if he knew what I was making and why."

Sora's eyes lit up. Donald and Goofy rolled their own. If there was one thing Sora loved, it was a secret.

"Show me!" he exclaimed, with surprising excitement.

Varian grinned wider and clapped his hands, then all but pranced over to his chemistry set. He picked up a large glass flask and showed it to the group. The three cocked their heads (Sora and Donald to the left, Goofy to the right) as they looked closely at what Varian had brought to their attention: it seemed to be a peculiar, viscous, honey-like liquid, which glowed slightly in the dim light.

"What is that?" Sora asked, tapping the flask.

"Ah, c-careful!" Varian chuckled, pulling it back and lifting it higher, as if in a great presentation. "It's a chemical compound, of my own design…WHICH I SHALL HENCEFORTH NAME SORANIUM!"

Silence.

"…Um…awesome," Sora chuckled, "But…why?"

"Oh, well, if you don't want something named after you-"

"N-No, that's…um…that's…kind of awesome, actually," Sora admitted with a slight blush. "But…I mean, why did you make it? What's it do?"

Varian smiled wider; there was a twinkle in his eye – impish, almost unhinged.

The group wasn't sure they liked it.

"It creates a series of amber-like crystals that grow for a certain time and then stop after a short while. I created it by mixing a few formulas of my own invention."

He began to carry the flask back to the table, and continued speaking as he went.

"See…my dad thinks the best thing to do is just…let the problem blow over," Varian said, his voice becoming tremulous and soft, "But Rapunzel…"

He smiled as he put the flask down and looked back towards the group.

"She believes in me," he said, quietly. "She asked me to try and help stop the Heartless. They've been getting worse all over the kingdom…"

"How much worse?" Goofy asked.

Varian's smile faded; he turned away, there was a haunted look in his eyes.

"A lot worse," he whispered, hoarsely. "Nobody's been killed, but..."

"Your dad said nobody was getting seriously hurt."

Varian's eyes hardened.

"Well. He's half right."

Varian left it at that.

"Rapunzel's father doesn't allow her to leave the capital anymore," Varian admitted after a moment's pause. "I try to go there whenever I can to…discuss things and such. She's my friend. And I'm her ally. We will find a way to stop these creatures…"

He looked into the glowing honey-like liquid in the flask, a glint in his baby blue eyes.

"…I won't rest till we do."

"Then why don't you use that stuff?" Donald asked.

"The Soranium?" Varian confirmed, as if he had been calling it that all his life. "Oh, well…it's not finished. There's a big problem with the formula…well, maybe two problems, hard to say."

He gently tapped the flask with his knuckles as he explained.

"See, this particular batch was made using a bit of dark material I picked up from one of those creatures when it attacked our village last."

Sora, Donald, and Goofy felt their hair stand on end.

"I thought it would help make it affect the 'Heartless' more," Varian went on, "But the effects were…unexpected. It's a little unstable. I haven't had a chance to test it on the Dark Creatures yet, but it appears that the crystals are completely unbreakable. I tried everything: a drill, a buzzsaw, even one of my explosive formulas, and nothing worked. And I'm not sure how it might affect organic material…"

He trailed off, then looked up to the trio, a determined expression on his face.

"What else did my Dad tell you?" he asked, somewhat darkly.

"Um…he said that…well…he said some people…"

"Think I'm dangerous?"

"Yeah…"

A sad look came over the boy's face, and he hung his head.

"That's why I can't allow any mistakes this time. I need to make sure it works perfectly. The princess asked for this. I have to make it work."

"I think you should get rid of it," Donald piped up.

Varian stared at the duck as if he'd grown seven new heads.

"What?!"

"Tampering with the darkness is a dangerous thing," Donald explained.

"He's right, Varian," Goofy nodded. "That stuff has a piece of the Heartless in it; for all you know, it could do more harm than good."

Varian blinked…then suddenly, he snorted with laughter, all smiles and energy again.

"Nah, it's not THAT dangerous!" he chuckled. "Like I said, I haven't even tested it on organic matter, and it's not like I'd try it on a PERSON! So long as it stays in that flask, and nobody messes with it, it'll be fine. A few more tests, and I'll have it juuuust right!"

"I wouldn't keep fooling around with it," Sora warned. "I've seen what happens when people mess with the Darkness."

He shuddered, memories of dragons and Ansem in his mind.

"It isn't pretty," he said softly.

Varian paused, biting his lip, and looking at the three, then back to the flask, then back to the trio again.

"I...well...I'll think about it. Using it, I mean. But I can't promise I won't a few more tests. I AM a scientist, after all. Something as fascinating as this SHOULD be tested."

Before the trio could protest, the scampering sound of paws came from upstairs…and Ruddiger came bounding into the room. He twined himself around Varian's legs like a cat. Varian grinned and picked his pet up from under his forelimbs, the way one might a puppy or a plush toy.

"You done dusting things off, buddy?"

Ruddiger nodded with a bright smile. He flicked his ail, and a puff of dust came off it. Varian smiled back and draped him over his shoulders, then looked to his guests.

"Your rooms should be ready. Well, enough of this chatter!" he practically sang out. "Come on, New Team Awesome! Lemme show you around; it's been forever since we had people over for the night!

So saying, the Alchemist hummed merrily as he swaggered out of his laboratory.

The trio glanced back towards the flask of "Soranium" on the table, then to each other.

"I don't like this," murmured Donald.

"Neither do I,"admitted Sora.

"What do ya think we should do?" asked Goofy.

"For the moment, I don't think we CAN do anything," sighed Sora. "But I hope Varian knows what he's doing..."

Without another word, they went after the alchemist.


	4. Book I, Chapter IV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sora, Donald, and Goofy join Varian and his father for dinner. Things get a little bit...nutty.

Book I: Serial Dilution

Chapter IV: Friends For Dinner

“I don’t quite know what to feel about this.”

“Huh? H-How come, Dad?”

“Well…on the one hand, I’m glad my son has friends over for dinner…and I’m glad to have guests, in fact; it’s a fine change of pace.”

“…But…?”

“Simply put: I wasn’t expecting two of my guests to have fur and feathers.”

Everyone at the table laughed. Quirin smiled as he took another spoonful of hearty vegetable stew, looking at the figures assembled at the table. Donald and Goofy sat across from one another at the far end of the table; closer to the man, Varian and Sora sat across from each other, too; the boy with the teal-striped hair sat beside Goofy, while the oddly-dressed teen with spiky hair sat beside Donald Duck. 

The anthropomorphic canine took a spoonful and licked his lips as he swallowed the rich, hearty soup down.

“Gawrsh…that’s purty good!” he commented.

“It’s nothing too extravagant,” shrugged the old knight as he took a spoonful of his own. 

“It’sh delishush!” Sora mumbled out, chewing on some of the vegetables in the soup…then grunted as he was elbowed by Donald, who gave him a scathing look for his bad manners. With some effort, he gulped down his mouthful, and burped softly. “Oof…heh heh…ah, s-sorry ‘bout that.”

“Don’t worry,” chuckled Quirin. “At least I know you like it.”

“What’s in it?” Donald quacked.

“Eh, chopped potatoes, tomato paste, diced onion, chopped celery, a handful or two of mushrooms…”

“And not a scrap of meat anywhere!” chirruped Varian, and slurped noisily from his own bowl…then froze up as Quirin gave him a disapproving look.

“Son,” he said, gently but firmly, “Manners.”

Varian blushed, his freckles turning crimson, and swallowed his helping before letting out a nervous chuckle.

“Heh heh heh…thanks for the reminder, Dad,” he peeped, and gave the others a sheepish smile. “Sorry.”

“Aw, forget about it,” scoffed Donald, and thumbed towards Sora, who noisily slurped up some soup of his own. “We have to put up with him, anyway.”

“Hey!” Sora frowned petulantly through stuffed cheeks, “I haff mannersh!”

“Yeah, bad ones,” Donald retorted blandly.

Goofy let out a fittingly goofy-sounding chortle while Sora pouted and continued eating. Quirin just rolled his eyes.

“Teenagers will be teenagers, I guess,” he muttered to himself.

“So, how come you don’t put meat in this stuff?” Sora asked, after gulping down another helping of stew.

“Well, I can go for a steak or some bacon now and again,” Quirin shrugged, then jabbed his spoon and tilted his head towards his son. “But Varian here-”

“Not a fan of meat,” the alchemist stated. “I mean, I’ll eat it – I love ham sandwiches, and some fish or chicken is nice, but generally speaking, not a big guy for steak or bacon or anything like that.”

“Oh, how come?” Sora wondered, tilting his head.

Varian paused to politely take a spoonful, and held up a finger, as if to say “one moment,” before answering.

“Mph,” he grunted, and patted as his mouth with a napkin. “See…the human body needs approximately 50 grams of protein daily. Most people get their protein from meat, but I have a theory that you can get by without anything…unless you count eggs, heh.”

“So…it’s a diet for an experiment?” Goofy checked, scratching his cheek in confusion.

“Kinda,” shrugged Varian. “See, you can get protein a lot of ways: cheese, milk, specific green vegetables…”

“It’s funny,” interjected Quirin with a chuckle. “Once upon a time, when he was a baby, I couldn’t get him to TOUCH his veggies. Now he eats almost nothing but.”

“Dad!” Varian exclaimed with an exasperated blush.

“But why are you experimenting with your diet, then?” Sora asked with a light laugh.

Varian paused, and opened his mouth to answer…then stopped, as he felt something tugging on his pant leg. He looked down and smirked, as Ruddiger had scampered over, and was pointing into his open mouth with one paw while giving the boy begging eyes. The alchemist reached across the table and plucked an apple from a bowl of fruit in the center, then dropped it down. The raccoon caught it in his mouth and scurried into a corner, where he began to chew on it, quickly and greedily.

“Animals,” Varian explained, gesturing to Ruddiger in explanation, “Have thoughts and feelings just like we do. And again, I don’t mind SOME meat on occasion; I’m not a pure vegetarian, or anything. Like everyone else, I need it. But…I also don’t like the thought of somebody hurting a cow or a pig to give me some dinner.”

“I keep telling him it’s part of the natural world,” Quirin broke in. “After all, wolves and big cats eat other animals all the time.”

“Ahhh, but they don’t have a choice!” Varian argued with a grin and a twinkle in his baby blue eyes. “They can’t survive without meat! But if human beings COULD…!”

“Alright, alright, I won’t argue over it!” chuckled Quirin as he fished some more from his bowl of stew. “Just don’t blame me for being so skinny.”

Varian blushed, and looked with some embarrassment to the rest of the table.

“I, ah…s-still haven’t figured out the proper way to GET all the necessary proteins to stay…y’know…f-fully fit, ha ha…”

“You’ll work it out someday,” chuckled Sora, and took another spoonful.

“I hope so,” murmured Varian to himself.

“At least I know you won’t be wanting roast duck soon,” mumbled Donald to himself.

“Oh, I don’t know,” Quirin smirked. “I did mention I could enjoy meat from time to time.”

“WWWWWAAAAAAAK!” Donald squawked indignantly, to everyone’s amusement.

“So!” Quirin said, looking to Sora, “My son said you were the ones who helped the Princess and Flynn Rider a year ago.”

“Yep!” Sora said, puffing out his chest with pride. “The Trusty Sidekicks and Conquering Heroes! That’s us!”

“Always so humble,” grumbled Donald, while Goofy just blushed at the description.

“I have to say, you’re an unlikely group of fighters,” Quirin observed.

“Oh, they are AWESOME!” Varian cheered. “You should have seen them against those Dark Creatures, Dad! Sora was like…!”

The lad began gesturing with his spoon, as if trying to act out the swordfight.

“…And the other two were like…!”

He then made zapping sounds and clanging noises, imitating the shield and the staff.

“…And I was like-eep.”

Varian froze up as Quiring placed a hand atop his son’s head. The teenager blinked up innocently at his father’s amused, bemused face.

“I think I get the picture, Varian,” Quirin said, dryly.

Varian blushed and smiled bashfully.

“Sorry, sir,” he squeaked out.

Quirin smirked and ruffled Varian’s hair; the bucktoothed alchemist yelped and swatted half-heartedly, shouting “I’m not six anymore!” in response.

“Still, sounds like quite a showdown,” the retired knight remarked, and tilted his head as he looked to Sora in particular. “But…I don’t see a weapon on you.”

“Oh, I keep it in a special place,” Sora said with a cryptic smile…which then became an exuberant grin. “Would you like to see it? It’s really, REALLY cool, even if I do say so myself!”

“You DO say so yourself,” Goofy and Donald snorted.

Sora stuck his tongue out at them childishly.

Quirin laughed; he had to admit, for someone apparently so gifted in battle, the spiky-haired youth was about as zany as his own son. 

He was glad they were getting along so well.

“Well, if you don’t mind, certainly,” he permitted.

Sora smiled wider, and stood up from the table. He stepped back and snapped his fingers – just for show – and in a flash of light, the Kingdom Key appeared in his grip.

“It’s called a keyblade,” he elaborated, twirling it and then resting it on his shoulder with a wink. “Awesome, right?”

Varian clapped his knuckles together with an absolutely giddy smile at seeing the weapon again, while Donald and Goofy just rolled their eyes at their friend’s antics…

…But Quirin’s own eyes grew wide, and his expression suddenly lost its humor. He was barely aware of the moment when he dropped his spoon into the bowl with a clatter. All eyes turned to him as he gaped at the weapon in Sora’s hands. Sora frowned in confusion, glancing from his treasured battle-tool to the middle-aged knight a few times.

“Um…is something wrong?” he asked, slowly.

Quirin shook his head, just as slowly.

“No,” he said, softly. “No, I just…I’ve never seen something like that in Corona before.”

“Well, it’s not exactly something you can find in Corona,” chuckled Sora, and glanced towards Donald and Goofy to make sure he hadn’t broken the rules.

Donald glared and gave him an “I’m watching you” gesture, while Goofy just smiled blithely as he ate some more veggie stew.

As for Sir Quirin, he nodded thoughtfully, never taking his eyes off of the Kingdom Key.

“Yes, I can imagine so,” Quirin said softly…then, rather awkwardly, he stood up and dabbed at his mouth.

“Dad?” Varian checked, tenderly. “You okay?”

“Oh, I’m fine,” Quirin insisted, a bit hurriedly. “Just, ah…please excuse me for a few moments, I’ll be back shortly.”

Without another word, the knight bustled out of the dining room. The rest all looked to each other in confusion.

“Gawrsh,” Goofy grunted, floppy ears “swipping” about his head as he glanced from Sora to the direction Quirin had gone. “I wonder what’s eatin’ him?”

“Heh. ‘Eating him.’ At dinnertime. Good one,” Varian muttered.

“He seemed bothered by something,” Donald added.

“You think it was the keyblade?” Sora murmured, holding it in both hands and looking at it with a furrowed brow.

“Seemed that way,” Varian put in, and glanced in the direction his dad had gone, “Though I can’t imagine why.”

“I hope it’s nothing too serious,” Sora said, lowering his weapon to his side.

Varian paused for a moment; he bit his lip thoughtfully, something deep and less than chipper swirling in his blue eyes…but after a moment, he just scoffed and waved it off.

“Nah, it’s…i-it’s probably nothing, heh…”

Then, he shot up in his chair and stood up fast.

“OH! Ah, th-th-that just made me remember! I wanna show something to you guys, i-it’s something I forgot to share earlier! Do you mind if I, uh…y’know…run to the lab and pick it up?”

“Your house,” Donald and Goofy shrugged in unison.

“We’ll be okay waiting,” Sora said with a smile.

Varian smiled wider, and without another word, trotted out of the dining room, heading for his laboratory.

Thus, the three warriors of light were left alone in the room.

“Well,” sighed Sora, “He may be a kook, but I like him! His dad seems nice, too.”

“He sort of reminds me of you,” Goofy piped up.

Sora blinked and tilted his head.

“…His Dad?” he said, with a slight grimace.

Goofy and Donald both laughed.

“A-Hyuck!” Goofy chortled. “No, silly! Varian! You two’ve sure got a lot in common!”

“Huh? What do you mean?” Sora frowned. “I’m not a science guy!”

“No,” Donald broke in, and began counting on his feathered fingers. “But you do like cool things, you’re highly excitable, you like to show off your skills, and you can be a total dork.”

“I am NOT a total dork!” Sora snapped, stomping one yellow-booted foot.

“Yes you are,” teased Donald with a smile.

“You’re adorable, too,” Goofy added.

“I AM NOT!” Sora yelled.

“Kairi sure thinks so,” the canine knight winked.

“Th-That’s…she’s…THAT IS SO UNFAIR!”

“Hey! Look!” Donald cheered. “He’s blushing!”

“Sh-Shut up, you’re just-!”

“TA-DA!”

Sora jumped clear out of his skin as he turned around…and found a pair of sharp, steel prongs pointed at his face, surrounded by glowing green coils that buzzed and hummed faintly.

The weapon was held by Varian, who had seemingly popped back up out of nowhere, holding the object in his hands with a wild sort of look in his eyes, smiling so wide one could almost see his gums. It appeared to be a makeshift sword, with a handle made of bolts and custom-pressed metal. 

“BEHOLD!” Varian declared dramatically, and twirled the glowing weapon around his head. “My Secret Weapon Of Radical Demolition! Or, if you want the acronym…My SWORD!”

Sora blinked a few times.

“That…that is…”

Then he grinned.

“…SO COOL! Wh-what did you make it out of, how’s it work?!” he cheered with a laugh.

“Oh! G-Glad you asked!” Varian said, bouncing on his heels a bit, and swung the weapon around his head playfully. “See, I-I took some phosphorous and some assorted acids and a bunch of spare tubing, combined with a cattle prod, a-and some pieces of old, broken equipment my dad was gonna toss out, and…well…here we are!”

“That’s really neat!” Sora exclaimed…then smirked and pointed the keyblade at Varian. “Hey…would you like to spar?”

Varian jerked back.

“Huh? M-Me?” 

“Well, duh!”

Varian blinked…then smirked smugly.

“Well, heh…I should warn you, I…HAVE practiced with this baby a lot – based it on a weapon from the Flynnigan Rider stories, y’see, and I’ve had a looot of spare time to-”

CLANG!

“-WHOA!”

Ruddiger jumped in his corner and fled from the room as the keyblade clanged against the weapon in Varian’s hands. 

“He-Hey! I d-didn’t mean right-”

CLANG!

“-NOW! Okay, ha ha, I-I guess we’re doin’ this, but-”

CLANG!

“-WAIT! H-Hey, you’re fast!”

“Come one,” Sora grinned mischievously, “Loosen up and watch my movements. If you’ve had so much practice, it should be easy, right?” he added, with a wink.

Varian blinked…then gave him a determined glare.

“Okay, Key-Boy. It. Is. ON.”

CLANG-CLANG-CLANG!

Donald gulped nervously as the pair of hyperactive teens clumsily “fenced” around the table. He cleared his throat and looked towards Goofy.

“…Should we…um…stop them?”

Goofy just looked up at the duck with a dopey grin and lifted his empty bowl.

“Think Quirin’d mind if I got seconds?”

Donald stared at Goofy for a solid three seconds…then sighed and facepalmed.

“Children,” he grumbled. “I work with children…”  
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the old castle, Quirin had entered his own private chambers. He pulled a match from a pocket on his person, struck it on the wall, and lit a lone candle that was on the stand near his bed.

Beside the window, across from Quirin’s bed, was a large, battered wooden chest, shut with a rusting padlock. As the Sun sank in the sky, its stray, slacking beams filtered through the gray clouds beyond, and fell upon the chest with an almost eerie glow. The aging warrior and experienced farmer glided towards the spot, and knelt before the chest…then looked up towards the wall above.

His eyes took on a sad look, as he stared at the portrait that was hung upon the wall: the image of himself, over a decade younger, posed with his smiling wife – a peachy-cheeked young woman with bright red hair, tied up in a bun, and sparkling blue eyes.

Blue eyes that were currently turned down to give a loving look to the smiling, bucktoothed infant – who was just showing signs of a dark head of shaggy hair – that lay happily in her arms.

Quirin sighed softly and shook his head, then looked to the chest. He frowned at the image of a circle, with three parallel lines slashed through it, on the front. Cautiously, he opened the chest…

Inside was a rusted suit of old armor. Quirin paused to look at his helmet…then pushed it aside, as he pulled out a scroll. Or rather, the fraction of a scroll; it was shredded along one side, clearly torn off of a larger document. On it was a series of ancient runes…

…And the image of a familiar golden flower.

Quirin glanced out the window again, towards the houses of Old Corona, which had holes in their roofs and windows; towards the ruined crops his neighbors worried about constantly.

He sighed and shook his head a second time, as he rolled up the scroll, replaced it inside the chest, and then shut the padlock.

“What am I going to do?” he murmured to himself as he pocketed the key.

Just then, a shrill chattering noise caught his ear. He glanced back just in time to see Ruddiger dart into the room. The raccoon tugged on his pant leg with one arm, and pointed towards the door urgently with the other.

Quirin frowned, and was about to ask what was the matter, when…

CLANG-CLANG-CLANG!

He jumped as he heard the sound of metal banging clumsily against metal somewhere downstairs.

“What in the world…?”  
“Loosen up, loosen up!” laughed Sora. “Weave a little…now you’re getting it!”

“I don’t feel like I’m getting anything but sore wrist!” Varian laughed weakly, then squeaked as the keyblade crashed against his weapon again as he blocked instinctively.

“Back up, back up, don’t get so close!” Sora instructed good-naturedly. “That’s it! That’s the way!”

Varian dodged as the keyblade swung at him, and then lunged forward fast. Sora laughed louder as he blocked the untrained strike.

“Not too bad, really, not too bad!” he encouraged.

“W-Wow, really?” Varian smiled.

“Yep, but don’t let it go to your head!” Sora said, and swiped his own weapon. Varian let out a cartoonish “Yipe!” and ducked fast, then swung his own weapon around as hard as he could…

“WHOA!” Sora yelped, and ducked as well, then rose up to parry the strike as the alchemist swung back again.

Donald and Goofy were hiding under the table, watching the two teens go back and forth like it was a tennis match. 

“Gawrsh…who do ya think’s gonna win?” Goofy whispered.

“I don’t think anyone wins this one,” Donald sighed. “In fact, I think everyone loses: loses some dignity, loses some brain cells, loses permission to ever be in the dining room alone…”

Goofy just rolled his eyes.

The alchemist and keybearer were still at it, but that didn’t last long. Suddenly, Sora flicked his keyblade in a practiced way, nearly knocking Varian’s “SWORD” out of his hands. The alchemist squeaked like a mouse and tried to catch it…and, unfortunately, grabbed it by its glowing “blade.”

“HOT-HOT-HOT!” yelled Varian, and impulsively tossed the weapon aside. It spun across the room…

…Then stabbed into the wall, three inches away from the entrance…

…Just as Quirin entered the room.

The knight stopped dead in his tracks and blinked at the weapon embedded in his wall. Ruddiger, who had been perched on his shoulder, looked at the SWORD so close to them…and promptly fainted dead way, flopping to the floor with a moan.

Quirin slowly turned to look at his son and Sora with a deadpan, disapproving look.

The keybearer gulped nervously…and made his weapon vanish before waving timidly.

“Uh…w-welcome back?” he peeped.

“Hi, Dad,” Varian nearly whimpered out, looking like he wanted to sink into the floor as he kicked at an imaginary pebble.

Quirin glanced towards the table boredly. Donald and Goofy both held up their hands, indicating they wanted no part in anything.

The middle-aged knight looked back at the two teens. His eye twitched once…and he sighed, pinching his brow.

“…I think I just remembered why we don’t have guests over often,” he muttered.

Varian and Sora ducked their heads blushed guiltily…but they couldn’t help but smile at one another.


	5. Book I, Chapter V

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sora and Varian bunk together for the night, and in the spirit of the sleepover, decide to play a bit of a game...

Book I: Serial Dilution

Chapter V: Questions and Answers

"I hope your friends don't mind their room; this place may look big on the outside, but…"

"Don't worry: if either of them complain, it will be Donald, and you get used to him after a while. And even he's usually got the decency to be grateful."

"Well, that's a relief, I guess, heh…"

Sora smiled as he prepped the old, somewhat worn out sleeping bag Quirin had provided him on the floor. He was dressed in a plain white t-shirt and a pair of red plaid pajama pants: he and his friends always came prepared for nighttime stays when needed. Varian sat on the bed, dressed in light blue pajamas that had a few darker-colored patches; he obviously hadn't been privy to a new suit of clothes in a while. The shade of the outfit matched his eyes. Sora couldn't help but eye the young alchemist with curiosity once or twice; he had, naturally, removed his goggles and gloves, and without them, the gangly, chipmunk-faced teen somehow looked even younger than he really was – only about half his true age, although perhaps a bit too tall for the apparent range.

Varian tilted his head as he petted Ruddiger, the raccoon curled up in his lap as he wiggled his feet and watched the older teen get ready for slumber.

"Are you sure you'll be comfortable with the floor?" Varian asked. "Because, really, I-I don't mind givin' up the bed. I mean…we could just sleep in it together, but that'd be…heh…awkward. Besides, we'd crowd Ruddiger."

He patted the coon's head in emphasis. Ruddiger let out a deep purring sound in response and nuzzled against Varian's belly. The young scientist giggled: it tickled.

Sora smiled wider as he watched the interaction between the alchemist and his pet.

"It's nice of you to offer, but it's your house," Sora said, courteously. "I'll be okay, trust me."

"Alright," shrugged Varian, then grinned and tilted his head the other way. "So! Uh…before we get some shut-eye, I saved a little treat for you for after dinner. Would you like it?"

Sora blinked.

"I…guess that depends on what it is," he said slowly.

Varian put Ruddiger to one side – the coon looked mildly affronted at being forced to leave the lovely, warm lap of his favorite human, but didn't bug the lad about it – and then hopped off the bed. He moved to the nighstand behind his bed, opened the drawer…and revealed a small, rolled-up pouch.

"Here," he said, and handed the pouch to Sora.

The keybearer frowned slightly in confused curiosity, and opened the pouch. His eyes then lit up as he beheld four small, round cookies, each covered in a curious purple frosting. Sora could smell the sweet, sugary goodness of the confections.

"They look good!" he grinned. "Where did you get them?"

"Nowhere. I made them," Varian said with a chipper shrug.

Sora looked to the cookies, then to the teal-stripe-haired teen.

"They're not gonna…you know…shrink me down, turn me to stone, anything like that?"

Varian looked Sora dead in the eye.

"Probably not," he said, coolly.

Sora's smile fell.

"…Probably?"

"Well. I don't entirely remember what I used to make the frosting."

There was a pause…then Varian laughed.

"HA HA HA! Oh! Ohhh, man, the look on your face!" he giggled and snorted with laughter, and waved a hand in a peaceful manner. "No, no, no, they won't do anything like that, I promise! They're safe, they're safe!"

Sora sighed with relief and laughed weakly.

"You've gotta watch that sense of humor of yours," he warned Varian with a chuckle. "Kind of evil at times…"

"Mean," Varian grumbled, half-heartedly, in response. He then went silent as he watched Sora dropped all four of the cookies into his mouth at once; the older teen's cheeks bulged as he began to chew noisily, chomping and crunching the cookies up before swallowing thickly, grunting as they all dropped into his stomach.

Varian smirked, an impish glimmer in his bright blue eyes.

"So…Sora," Varian began, as the other boy sucked on his fingers to eliminate any remaining cookie crumbs, "How 'bout we play a game before we, y'know, hit the sack?"

"Game?" Sora repeated, licking the last stray crumbs from his lips. "What kinda game?"

"Well…how 'bout a round of 'Truth or Dare?'" Varian suggested with a wink. "That's always a classic."

"Sure, as long as we don't go too crazy," Sora smiled and shrugged, and stood up to sit beside Varian on the bed. Ruddiger, who was eager to get a good look, chittered and bounded over to sit beside the two humans.

"You start; guests first, yeah?" Varian smiled.

"Sure," Sora nodded, and then tilted his head thoughtfully. "Hmmmm…let's see now…Oh! Truth: why do YOU have that funny teal stripe in your hair? Is it a dye job or something?"

Varian chuckled and ruffled his own hair, running his fingers around the bangs where the telltale stripe was found.

"Actually, no. I've always had it," he shrugged. "Or, at least, I've had it since I was a little kid. It just…kind of grew in one day. I've actually, like, run tests on my own hair – right down to the follicle, which SMARTS, lemme tell ya, heh – but from what my research has been able to gather, it's…y'know…all natural stripey-ness, ha!"

"Well, that's kinda strange," murmured Sora, then shrugged. "But I guess I've heard stranger. Your turn."

"Okay, ah, I'll go with a Truth, too!" Varian chirped, rubbing his hands together. "So: how did you learn to use that super-cool keyblade? Did you, like, go to school for it or something?"

Sora's smile took on a nostalgic edge, and he shook his head.

"A keyblade," he explained, "Chooses its user, not the other way around. I didn't learn how to use the keyblade right away; if you mean in terms of my swordfighting, I used to practice with my friends back home all the time, and when the time came that I was chosen to use the keyblade, it was all just learning how to use its special powers."

"Fascinating," murmured Varian, and nodded. "Makes sense. Well, your turn again!"

"Right, so…Truth: I keep hearing stuff about explosions…?"

Varian flinched slightly and he blushed.

"I was trying to make machines that would give hot water to my village. They involved a formula I created called Flynnolium…"

He leaned in and whispered: "I named it after Flynn Rider! He even saw me demonstrate them!"

The alchemist clapped his knuckles giddily. Sora chuckled.

"Your dad mentioned that," he said, then bit his lip before going on: "So, uh…what happened?"

"I don't know," Varian admitted with a sigh. "I'm not sure if the compound was still too unstable, or if the machines weren't strong enough to withstand the reactions for an extended period of time, but…well…it didn't go well."

"I can imagine," murmured Sora, then smiled widely. "Your turn again!"

"Simple Truth!" Varian grinned, rubbing his hands together…then gestured to Sora. "What are THOSE kinda clothes?"

Sora blinked.

"…Sorry?"

"Oh, they look AWESOME, make no mistake!" Varian exclaimed, with a nervous giggle and a placating gesture of his hands. "I'm just wondering where you get them, a-and why you dress like that, ha! I don't know anyone in Corona with a sense of style like yours…"

He then suddenly reached forward and poked at the edge of Sora's vest.

"…And the material…offhand, I'd say some sort of ethylene-based compound, but I've yet to find a way to replicate fabric of this kind of texture and design."

"It's…just what we wear where we come from," chuckled Sora.

Varian looked disappointed for a moment, and even a little nervous; Sora wasn't sure why…but he soon forgot it, as Varian shook his head as if to clear it, and chuckled.

"Well…ha ha…guess that's a fair enough response! Heh…y-your turn again."

"Okay," Sora nodded, then paused and scratched the back of his head. "So, uh…this might be personal, but…what happened to your mom?"

Varian's smile fell he paused and then sighed.

"Well…I was too young to really remember, but…apparently, she got…really, really sick. Like, super bad and terrible sick. And it just…finally got to her. My dad never told me the details, and I never asked him. Just…"

He rubbed his arm and let out a sad sort of laugh.

"…One morning…I woke up…and my Mom wasn't there anymore. My dad never cried so much in his life…in fact, I don't think I've ever seen him cry since, and I-I can't remember him ever, you know, crying before that…"

He paused, then looked upwards thoughtfully.

"I think…that's why I took an interest in alchemy. In science. I wanted to learn about how those things worked, a-and I wanted to know how to…how to make them stop. I wanted to help people who weren't happy, a-and make things better for…well…f-for everyone."

Varian dipped his head back down and then added: "Normally, I just…seem to make things worse."

Sora paused…then smiled comfortingly and placed a hand on Varian's shoulder.

"Hey, you can't be too hard on yourself," he whispered. "Sometimes people get scared by what they don't understand."

"Heh…well…they wouldn't have a reason to be scared, if I could make it work," Varian murmured, and something fiery flickered in his eyes as he clenched his fists. "One of these days…I'll make it right. I'll show them all, and…and I'll make my dad proud of me."

"I'm sure he's proud of you already," Sora said softly. "You're a great guy, Varian! You're smart, you're compassionate, you're…unique. I don't think there's anyone in Corona, or anyone else, who could do what you do."

Varian smiled up at Sora gratefully.

"Thanks," he said gently. "That…means a lot. Honestly."

There was a pause…and Varian coughed awkwardly.

"Ahem! Well, uh, I think it's, um…y'know, my turn."

"Right, right!" chuckled Sora, and scratched the back of his head, mussing his already unkempt hair. "Sorry, ah…shoot away."

"Alright," Varian said, and then tilted his head. "So, uh…I know you're not from Corona – it's pretty clear, really – but, um…where exactly are you from?"

Sora bit his lip.

"I'm…not sure I can tell you that," he answered.

Varian raised one eyebrow…and smirked in a most devilish manner.

"Can't you?" he purred.

Before Sora could insist that he couldn't…he suddenly grunted and winced, clutching his chest. Something…seemed to be stirring inside him, making him feel woozy and unsteady, and there suddenly seemed to be something drumming in his head.

"Rrrrngh…it's just…I'm not supposed to tell you that I come from another world called Destiny Islands because it's against the rules of my job as a warrior of light and really it's weird that I'm allowed to talk about the Heartless but I guess since they go everywhere that makes some sense though I don't get why I couldn't talk about other worlds I'd gone to in Halloween Town or the Pride Lands but anyway that's why I'm not supposed to tell you the truth!"

All of this came out in one breath, and after briefly stopping for air…Sora's eyes widened and he clapped a hand over his mouth.

Varian grinned widely, and his eyes gleamed.

"…What…h-how…why did I…?"

"Ha HA!" Varian exclaimed and pumped his fists. "Yes! YES! It works! I finally got it to work! YEAH-HAH!"

"What…what do you…?"

"I knew it! I KNEW you had to be from another world someplace; I mean, the animals around here are smart, but where else would you find a dog and a duck like that but another place entirely? And those clothes…TOTALLY not suiting the materials and styles of Corona or any of our other surrounding kingdoms, not even Saporia! And that POWER you have, I've never seen anything like it matched in alchemy! Ha Ha HA!"

Sora blinked slowly, trying to figure out what the excitable alchemist was cheering over…then, slowly, the pieces came together in his mind.

"The cookies," he breathed, then glared. "Hey, was…you put something in those cookies, didn't you?"

"Hmmmm…is that your next Truth?"

"Wha…? Is that…?! Fine, yes, yes, it is, now did you?!"

"Yep!" Varian answered, bold as brass, a teasing smile on his face. "See, I've been developing a truth serum, but I couldn't get it to work properly. When you guys came by, I thought this would be a great time to test it and learn some epic mad knowledge in the process! And I was right!"

"But…that's…YOU TRICKED ME!"

"Hey, hey, it's not going to ruin anything!" Varian soothed, putting up his hands. "Look, why is it so important you don't tell people about that anyway, huh?"

Sora bit his lip.

"…Is…that…YOUR next Truth," he shot back.

Varian chuckled.

"Good one, bravo. Yeah, we'll say it is."

"Well then," Sora said, once again rattling out all the information as fast as his tongue would allow: "It's because I travel to all sorts of different worlds and there are these bad guys and monsters who want to take them all over and destroy them. I'm not supposed to let other worlds know about…well…other worlds, because then their whole system gets thrown out of whack; that's what creates a lot of the bad guys and the problems they cause in the first place, and-"

Varian held up his hands in a "time-out" gesture.

"So, basically," he said, smoothly, "You're not supposed to tell because bad things could happen if you tell a person."

"…Basically, yes."

"Well, the only one you've told is me!" Varian said brightly. "And trust me, I can keep a secret: I've been keeping them for a loooong time. I won't tell Rapunzel, heck, not even my dad. I'm the only one who'll ever know."

Ruddiger let out an indignant noise. Varian smirked and stroke him behind his neck.

"Well…more like me and Ruddiger. Sorry, bud, didn't mean to leave you out."

Ruddiger smiled, and responded by rolling over onto his back. Varian giggled and scratched the coon's tummy.

Sora wanted to protest, but…he had to admit…Varian made sense. And he found that, oddly enough, he DID trust the young alchemist – even if he had secretly slipped him a truth serum via cookie frosting.

Besides, it wasn't like telling Varian, and Varian alone, would lead to Corona nearly being destroyed, or anything.

"Well…I guess that means it's my turn again," Sora muttered, and then glared. "But don't go making me break anymore rules!"

"Hmmmm…no promises!" grinned Varian. "I actually still have a few other questions for you."

Sora looked the boy up and down…then sighed and threw his hands up.

"Fine, then why don't you just ask them right now?"

Varian blinked, looking surprised.

"But…but it IS your turn."

"Yeah, and I won't be happy playing till I get whatever you want to get out of me…well…out of me," Sora smirked. "So just go ahead and ask."

Varian paused thoughtfully, and tilted his head.

"…Well…I do have one important one," Varian said slowly. "Why did you come back to Corona? Why do you need to see the Princess?"

"It's a mission for my Master," Sora responded, quick as a whip. "He told us about this creepy weird vision he had and that the answers would be found in 'The Kingdom of the Sun,' meaning Corona, and so we came to try and figure out what's going on. Rapunzel is a Princess of Heart – they're people with an inner light tied to the very heart of their world, kinda hard to explain – and our job is to protect her and see if whatever our Master saw has anything to do with her."

Varian nodded slowly, processing all the information carefully.

"Then I have one last question, at least for now," he responded, and narrowed his eyes, leaning in close. "Who do you think is behind…whatever you're investigating? Who wants to hurt Rapunzel?"

Sora glared, and turned away from Varian, staring at the ground.

"She's called…Maleficent," Sora hissed the name with absolute hatred. "She's one of the most evil and corrupt…THINGS I've ever met. Her crimes are without number, her villainy without end."

"Ooooh…spooky talk," Varian chuckled. "Sounds real dramatic."

"Maybe it does, but it's true. It has to be, thanks to your cookies."

Varian smirked and winked in response. Sora didn't crack even the tiniest smile.

"Over and over again, we keep thinking we've seen the last of her, but then she comes back with a new plan, or gets in our way again somehow," he said. "Our Master found out she's up to her old tricks; we think whatever is going on here in Corona, she's got something to do with it."

Varian nodded slowly again, a serious look on his face.

"I hope you get her," he said softly, then blushed a bit and squirmed. "She sounds…um…kinda scary, heh…"

"She'd be scarier if she had a smarter thug working for her," Sora muttered. "She's got this guy called Pete. He's from the same world as Donald & Goofy, and he's basically this big, dumb, mean cat. He's tough, but he can't tie his own shoelaces without help from his own mooks. I think if she got rid of him…"

"Well, let's hope she never does…and that she never gets someone smarter on her side," Varian smiled, and nudged Sora's shoulder. "Now, I think I've asked enough questions. You give me a Truth or Dare now."

Sora nodded…then smiled.

"Well…to change things up…how about a Dare?"

"Oh, no."

"Oh, yes. I dare you to learn some swordfighting of your own sometime."

Varian blinked.

"…That…that's not a dare I can fulfill right now."

"Nope," Sora responded with a shake of his head, crossing his arms over his chest. "But I'm also not done: after you learn how to fight with a sword better, maybe you and I can have another sparring match, and see who's got the better moves. Sound fair?"

Varian smiled timidly.

"I…have a feeling you'll win, anyway," he chuckled. "But…yeah…yeah, that m-might be fun. But, BUT! Be warned! For I happen to know the greatest hero in Corona, Flynn Rider!"

Varian puffed out his chest and spoke with a deep, powerful voice as he added the last part. Sora chuckled.

"Oh, he's not as great as you think. Trust me, if it hadn't been for us," Sora winked, "Eugene Fitzherbert wouldn't have gone anywhere saving Rapunzel."

"Oh, really? Well, what makes you think I'm talking about Eugene?" sniped Varian, and pointed to Sora. "Here's MY Dare: before you leave Corona, I want you to pick up a book about Flynn Rider – the REAL Flynn Rider, NOT Eugene – and then tell me I couldn't learn a thing or two from those books!"

Sora chuckled and responded by holding out a hand.

"You're on, friend."

Varian froze up.

"…F-Friend?" he peeped.

Sora's hand dropped and he tilted his head, looking confused.

"Well…yeah."

"…You consider me a friend?"

"What else would I consider you?"

"Would you like that answer in alphabetical order?"

Before Sora could react to that quip, Varian quickly added: "W-We've only known each other for a day!"

"That's all it takes, sometimes," Sora smiled, and thrust out his hand. "So let's shake on it: you'll learn how to use a sword properly, and I'll give at least one of those books of yours a read. And someday, we'll put both those dares to the test."

Varian looked down at Sora's outstretched hand…then smiled and gave it a shake.

"Thanks, heh…I think…I think that would be-!"

"HELP! HELP! SOMEBODY, HELP!"

Both jumped at the sound of sudden, shrill screams from outside the window.

"What the…?" Varian gasped…then yelped as the door was flung open. Quirin stood there in the doorway, holding a lantern, while Donald and Goofy – dressed in their usual attire, and with their weapons already at the ready – were at his side.

"What's going on?" Sora asked, jumping down from the bed.

"The Dark Creatures," Quirin answered grimly. "They're back. And there's more of them now than ever before."

Sora sighed, and hurried towards the door, casting a spell to change back into his battle suit.

"Great," he grumbled. "And we were having such a moment…a hero's work is never done…"

Varian smiled as he watched Sora leave, followed by his dad, the dog, and the duck…

…Then, without a word, he jumped out of bed and hurried down the hall himself…heading straight towards his lab.

"I'll show them all," he muttered. "Someday, I really will…"


	6. Book I, Chapter VI

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Heartless attack old Corona, with a new weapon at their disposal, and Sora and his friends must work fast to take care of the problem...

Book I: Serial Dilution

Chapter VI: Demolition

Sora, Donald, and Goofy dashed out of the battered castle in Old Corona as fast as they could. Quirin had run ahead of the visiting trio, and they soon spotted him as they hurried down the steps into the yard. Their faces fell in expressions nearing horror at what they found.

Heartless. At least three dozen of them, all Soldier-types, all scurrying around the village like rats raiding a larder. People were running, fleeing their houses as the Heartless smashed through the doors and clawed at their windows. They found little safety in the street, however, for the dark beasts chased them, swiping their crimson talons at their backs. Their clumsy, armored forms leaped into the gardens and small crops of the farmers, their klutzy gaits leading to them smashing and ripping up plants left and right.

Directly ahead of the party, Quirin had grabbed a scythe from his tool shed, and was swinging it about, as three Heartless all tried to take a slash at him. They jumped back, dodging each strike, while Quirin desperately blocked and parried each swipe and swing.

“Get back, you cretins!” the retired knight barked, as the Heartless swiped at him again…then gasped as their claws cleaved through the scythe’s handle, slashing it into four pieces. The Soldiers now had a good, clean shot at the man, but Quirin lunged forward and whipped out the blade, then followed it up by hurling the remaining piece of the handle in his hands. The shadows leapt back, distracted…

…At which point, Sora, Donald, and Goofy flew flew into action. Goofy flung his shield, sending it spinning through the air, while Donald and Sora each pointed their weapons at the creature and launched two fireballs in their direction. 

The three soldiers had no time to react, as each strike met its mark, and they disappeared in a cloud of dark mist.

“Thanks, boys!” Quirin called to them.

“We’ll take care of these creeps!” Sora called back. “Get the people to safety! Hurry!”

Quirin saluted, and rushed out onto the street.

“Everyone!” he yelled, calling to the people who were panicking all around him. “This way! Follow me! Everybody, get to safety! Quickly now!”

The farmer ushered his friends and neighbors towards a large, old barn on his property; it would do as a temporary solution. Men, women, and children all hurried to follow his instructions…but the Soldier Heartless were persistent, and lunged after their intended victims.

Sora, Donald Duck, and Goofy leapt in front of several of them, barring their path.

“I don’t think so!” Sora jeered, and whirled the keyblade about his head, striking down two Soldiers at once. The other Heartless nearby all stepped back, twitching erratically as their claws flickered, vacant golden eyes peering at their opponents with hungry, hollow glares.

“I think we should split up,” Goofy suggested.

“We’ll take care of more faster that way,” Donald agreed.

“Right!” Sora nodded. “I’ll run dead ahead. Goofy, you go the right, and Donald, you go to the left. Don’t let them ruin anything else.”

“On it!” his friends chorused, and all three charged in their respective directions. Thus the battle truly began.

Donald flapped towards a group of seven Soldiers who were plunging their claws into the window of one house. He could hear the sound of a baby crying somewhere inside, as the ravenous black beasts tried hard to get at their intended prey. The duck growled and lifted his staff high above his head.

“THUNDER!” he quacked, as the end of his Mage’s Staff glowed bright yellow. Then, from out of the sky, seven lightning bolts flashed down from the gray clouds puffing overhead, and struck each of the Heartless. They convulsed briefly and fell back from the window…but melted into dark pools before they hit the ground. The pools almost instantly evaporated.

Meanwhile, Goofy spotted six Heartless that had cornered a young mother, standing protectively in front of her three children. The vicious brutes seemed to be trying to decide which of them would take which victim first. The dog-like Captain of the Disney Guards threw his shield, and it rebounded off the alley, flying at the Soldiers…

CHING-CHANG-CHING-CHANG-CHING-CHANG!

With a sound that amusingly enough resembled a pinball machine, the spinning shield crashed into each of the armored creatures, felling them as it bounced off each one and then carved through another near them…till his circular Knight’s Shield returned to his gloved hand, and all six of the monsters vanished into the dark void from whence they came.

Sora had no time to check on the progress of his friends, meanwhile. He charged headlong down the main street of the village in Old Corona. The Soldiers pounced and slashed at him with every bound. The Kingdom Key was swift and keen and readily performed its service, for not a single one of the dark creatures so much as laid fingertip upon the teenaged swordmaster. He hammered it down to the right, and chopped one Heartless into two separate, goreless pools; he swung upwards to the left, and sent one flying into a wall…but it evaporated before it even reached said wall. He lunged dead ahead and then whirled about, sending one Heartless colliding into another…then twirled his weapon about and hacked at another one’s neck. All three of the Soldiers disappeared at the same time.

But no matter how often he stabbed and cut down his foes, more seemed to keep coming. Sora scowled and gritted his teeth as he kept up the charge: this wasn’t right. A horde of Heartless like this needed to have a source. But where and what could that source be?

He was so distracted by his thoughts, he never noticed two Soldiers creeping up behind him. He had just struck down another two with a single thrust of his weapon…when, before he could pull back and straighten his posture, the two Soldiers jumped at him. The keyblade master cried out sharply as he was thrown off balance, and thudded to the ground. 

Sora was not one to be taken down so easily, and elbowed one of the monsters. As it leapt back, he managed to roll over, throwing off the second Heartless…but the Shadows were relentless, and plunged towards him again before he could try and sit up, let alone stand…

BANG!

Suddenly, a pair of vials, tied together by thin wire, came flying at the Heartless. A blinding flash of light burst from the broken glass capsules, causing them to claw at their own yellow eyes…and, in their distracted state, Sora felled them with a quick slice of his keyblade.

“You okay?” a familiar voice called. Sora looked up…and was startled to see Varian standing only a few feet away. He was dressed in his alchemist gear once more, and had a leather satchel slung about his shoulders.

“Yeah!” Sora called back, and then grinned. “Hey, thanks!”

“Not a problem!” Varian grinned…then paused, and frowned. “Hey, w-watch your back!”

So saying, he flung another pair of vials, tied together, at a third Soldier that was trying to once again sneak up on the keybearer. Sora whipped about and swung his blade in a wide arc, slashing across the crimson insignia on the armored fiend’s chest. It stumbled back in a most ungainly manner and then faded from view.

Sora stood up as Varian ran over and joined him at his side. Eight more Heartless surrounded them in a circle, the Soldiers twitching, their heads jerking about like a bunch of rabid hummingbirds, while their claws flicked at the air, eager to rip and tear into the chests of their prey.

“There’s so many of them,” Varian shuddered.

“There has to be some sort of Summoner; a place they’re spawning from,” murmured Sora, holding his weapon at the ready as he and Varian stood back to back.

“Any idea what it could be?” Varian asked, as he pulled four vials – two “packs” in each gloved hand – from his satchel.

Sora was about to answer…when suddenly, the ground began to shake.

THOOM. THOOM. THOOM.

Footsteps. Huge, powerful footsteps. Approaching the area.

The massive footsteps were accompanied by another sound: a faint, tinkling, cheery sort of sound. Sora suddenly realized it was a music box melody.

Slowly, the keybearer looked up. The scrawny alchemist did, too…

…Then squeaked like a mouse and ducked behind Sora in fright. He then peered out over Sora’s shoulder as both teens blinked their blue eyes up at the giant beast that had come towards them.

Looming before them was a massive machine, covered in flecks of rust around its joints. It was built like a gorilla, with stumpy lower limbs and burly, overly long arms. It had a dome-like head, with a brass crest, and five glowing green “eyes” set in its iron cranium. Its arms ended in huge, round, black appendages, carved from metal to resemble a pair of closed fists, but clearly made from items more akin to a couple of wrecking balls.

From the creature’s body came wisps of dark purple mist, and it was surrounded by a similarly-colored aura.

Varian gasped, and grinned despite himself.

“Fascinating!” he exclaimed, and stepped closer to the creation, from which the music box like tune jingled forth merrily. “I believe this is an Automaton! A-A marvel of ancient technology, really! I-I’ve heard about them, but j-j-just to see one in person is-GACK!”

Varian’s words were cut short, as Sora, grabbed hold of him and jerked him back, at the same time the massive machine lifted up one burly limb and then SLAMMED it into the ground. The ground quaked and both teens were nearly knocked clear off their feet.

“Maybe wait on the geeking out till AFTER the big bad robo-destroyer is taken care of?” Sora sighed, with some mild agitation.

Varian blushed and nodded.

“Oh. R-Right, heh, ah…sorry…”

Sora rolled his eyes…which then widened, as the Automaton let out a mechanical groan…and two more Soldiers suddenly appeared to rise up from the ground itself, and joined the circle of eight around them, making ten in total.

“It’s the Summoner!” Sora cried out, and narrowed his eyes at the aura and mist rising from the mechanized menace. “It must be possessed by one of the Heartless! We’ll have to flush it out to stop this!”

“Don’t worry, Sora! I’ve got this!” Varian announced, and lobbed both of the packs of explosive formula at the creature like a couple of grenades. The machine stumbled back and swung its arms upwards to try and balance itself as the explosions blasted against its side.

Two of the Soldiers lunged at Varian, who plunged forward. The flew clear over his head, and Sora smacked them down and sent them back into the darkness with a thrust of the Kingdom Key. The young alchemist’s teal-striped hair whipped about his face as he hurled another pair of vials exploded in a flash of fiery light and bashed against the robotic behemoth, which let out another ironclad groan before crashing to the ground.

Varian smirked proudly and glanced back at Sora.

“See?” he sang out. “I’ve got this! I’ve-”

WHAM!

Varian grunted and wheezed as the Automaton swung out one limb and bashed it into his side and sternum. The alchemist pinwheeled through the air and then smacked spine-first into the side of a nearby building. As he flopped to the ground, three more Heartless went plunging towards him, claws outspread.

Sora was quick to react; his keyblade swung fast about his shoulders in one, two, three downward slashes, each one eliminating one of the three Soldiers before they could reach Varian. He rushed to his friend’s side and helped him up.

“Are you all right?” he asked, carefully.

Varian whimpered and shakily propped himself up against Sora as he stumbled to his feet. He looked rather cross-eyed.

“Ohhhh…despite the…EXCRUCIATING pain and the…f-feeling that I’m about to, ungh, pass out…”

He sighed dreamily and looked towards the possessed Automaton, practically having stars in his blue eyes.

“…The SCIENCE and INGENUITY at work here…it’s SPELLBINDING!”

Sora smirked and held back a biting laugh.

Now was not the time for jokes.

The pair looked towards the Automaton as the remaining five dark creatures slunk about and between its limbs. It groaned a third time, and the aura around it flared up, as two more Soldier Heartless rose from the ground between its ape-like forelimbs.

“We’ll need to take out the big guy as our first priority,” Sora said.

“Right, we need a plan!” Varian nodded back. “It’s…i-it’s gotta have a weakness to exploit…something that-”

He froze. The sound of the ringing, cheery tune of the mysterious music box somewhere nearby filtered into Varian’s ears. A lightbulb seemed to go off over the genius youth’s head.

“Sora! Th-That music! The music box!” Varian exclaimed.

“That tune that’s come from the thing?” 

“Right! I-I have an idea! You deal with the Heartless! I need to get behind it!”

Sora nodded back, and the plan went into action. Varian dove to one side, running to flank the Automaton. The seven Soldiers darted towards him…but Sora was quick to respond, and thrust his Kingdom Key outwards as a blue-white light formed around its tip…

…Then – ZANG, ZANG, ZANG! – the keybearer jerked slightly, as if firing a large gun, as he blasted swarms of ice crystals towards the Heartless. Each time the crystals struck, they burst into a flurry of snowflakes, and the Heartless froze solid…before collapsing, shattering, and promptly melting away.

Varian ducked to avoid the swinging arm of the Possessed Automaton…and smiled with a sense of impending victory as he spotted a golden cylinder on the back of the creature. It turned slowly, a quiet, saccharine sound coming from it as it moved…

“It’s got a timing cylinder!” Varian called to Sora. “If we can jam that, we can shut it down, and it won’t be of any use to the Heartless!”

So saying, he pulled another explosive pack from his satchel, and hurled it towards the cylinder…but the Automaton was faster, and swung around before it ever met its mark. The droid-like behemoth batted the explosive away with one arm. This, however, caused it to stumble back from the bright light that accompanied the blast.

“I’ve got it!” Sora yelled, and jumped into the air, flourishing his blade as he lifted it high over his head…

…Then, as he came back towards the ground, slashed the Kingdom Key clean through the cylinder, slicing it in half.

The green “eyes” of the Automaton flickered into dull, dark spots, and with a final groan and a low, slow whirring sound – the sound of some sort of engine dying – it crumpled to the ground with a resounding, earth-rattling BOOM.

For precisely four seconds, nothing happened…then, the aura and mist that had surrounded the creature abruptly faded…and out of its chest area drifted a small, round, black sphere. It appeared to have a jagged, red mouth – like that drawn upon a mask – and the same telltale yellow eyes all Heartless wore. From its body jutted four purple spikes, and it was surrounded by a dark cloud of mist. 

The Possessor shook itself, as if dizzy, then jetted off in a streak of darkness, flying clear over Sora’s head. The keyblade master lunged upwards, but missed.

“I-It’s getting away!” Varian wailed.

“Oh, no, you don’t!” quacked a familiar voice. “GRAVITY!”

Just then, a large, purple-and-white sphere surrounded the Possessor mid-flight. It banged itself against the walls three times…then let out a shrill, sudden, snake-like sound as the Gravity Orb contracted in on itself…until the Possessor, with a final, alien scream, crumbled into ash and smoke. As the Gravity spell wore off, it faded away into nothingness.

From behind a nearby building stepped the victorious Donald Duck, followed closely by Goofy, who was brushing off his own shield somewhat absent-mindedly.

“Great timing, Donald!” Sora congratulated.

“Aw, it was nothing!” Donald smiled with a shrug.

“Gawrsh, are you two okay?” Goofy called out.

“Oh, we are BETTER than okay!” laughed Varian, and threw his hands up in celebration. “We are AWESOME!”

“Well,” said a new voice, “I wish I could say the same for everyone.”

All eyes turned as Quirin approached.

“Dad!” Varian cried out, and trotted forward. Quirin knelt down and the two hugged. “Dad…a-are you alright? Did…d-did everybody…?”

“Yes, thankfully,” Quirin sighed, then stood up and looked to Sora with a smile. “Thank you, Sora. You and your friends really helped us here…”

He frowned, then looked around the village, and all of the ruined houses.

“…But I don’t think we can stay here any longer, after this attack…”

“You’re right, Quirin!” called an angry, snappish voice. “We can’t! And we won’t!”

The group turned…and saw Peter, the green-dressed old farmer, approaching. A few other townsfolk were following close behind.

“All of you back to the sanctuary!” Quirin ordered.

“What for?” spat Peter. “The attack is over! Do you expect us to live in your barn?”

“The winter is coming, we can’t stay here now!” a woman cried out.

“What are these attacks for, Quirin? When is it going to end?” an angry man shouted.

“And what is that thing?!” Peter demanded, and pointed towards the fallen Automaton.

“Oh!” Varian piped up, and stepped forward. “Th-That’s an-”

“Another creation of yours, boy?” snarled Peter, interrupting the youth sharply. “I might have known, if it was!”

“I’ll bet those Dark Creatures are all HIS doing!” yelled another.

Sora felt something his chest snap. He looked to Varian. The younger teen froze in place. His mouth opened and closed a few times and he backed away. Quirin glared at the villagers…but made no move to protect Varian. He didn’t even so much as place a hand on his shoulder.

Sora was sure that was not an intended cruelty…but he could virtually hear Varian’s little heart breaking, and he frowned as he stepped forward and addressed the crowd.

“These things that are bothering you have nothing to do with him!” he called out, courageously. “My friends and I are trying to stop them!”

“We saw your heroics, boy,” Peter nodded. “We are in your debt, undeniably, but-”

“-Then you should also know that I couldn’t have defeated so many without Varian’s help.”

Peter shut his mouth tightly.

Varian looked to Sora with what seemed like genuine surprise. Now, his jaw simply went slack. His eyes bugged out as, shortly thereafter, Donald and Goofy stood at Sora’s side, and all three crossed their arms over their chests as they glared at the villagers, as if daring them to say anything more.

None of them did.

It was Quirin who broke the silence.

“I cannot speak for that…THING, whatever it is,” he said, jabbing a thumb towards the broken robot. “But as far as the attacks, and this particularly vicious strike, are concerned: I will be visiting the King tomorrow, with my son and our new allies. I promise you, we will find a solution to our danger, and make sure everyone is safe.”

Peter and the villagers shuffled slightly, shamefaced.

“…Thank you, Quirin,” one said, very quietly. “We’re truly sorry for offending you.”

Quirin smiled kindly.

“Your anger is justified. Now, I will see to it you all have a place to sleep tonight on my property. All will be sorted out in good time.”

The villagers all mumbled their thanks and apologies, and quietly marched back towards the old barn.

Quirin looked down to Varian. The alchemist had hung his head, and was standing very quietly at his father’s side. The retired warrior bit his lip…and placed one hand on Varian’s shoulder. The teen blinked, then looked up expectantly.

“I’m going to help them all get settled in,” Quirin said, softly. “Please stay out of trouble while I’m at it?”

Something painful flickered in Varian’s eyes…but before Quirin could even think of rewording his plea, Varian gulped and nodded, turning away.

“Right, Dad. Right.”

Quirin patted Varian’s shoulder softly…then tromped off to take care of business.

Sora, Donald, and Goofy watched Quirin go, then turned to look to Varian. It took a moment before the alchemist met their gaze.

He smiled thinly.

“Th-thanks. Heh. Y’know, for…um…uh…s-stickin’ up for me, I guess, ha ha. It was…ah…y-yeah, it was…nice of you.”

“Anytime, Varian,” Sora smiled back.

“Can we help you at all?” Goofy added.

“Just don’t make us help with too much,” Donald yawned. “I’m TIRED.”

“I think we all are,” Sora agreed with a yawn of his own.

“Well,” Varian murmured, and glanced back towards the broken droid. “Do you guys think you could help me drag that thing into my lab.”

“We could try,” Donald nodded, “But why?”

“I’m thinking I can use it for spare parts, or maybe work on some other projects,” Varian shrugged, then smirked towards the trio. “I’ve been trying to build special farming machines that run on their own. The clockworks in that thing could help me figure out a way to make them function autonomously.”

“We’ll do our best,” Sora said, and both Donald and Goofy saluted playfully.

Varian chuckled, and smiled gratefully. He paused and swiped with one gloved hand at his blue eyes.

“Th-thanks,” he barely breathed, then cleared his throat before adjusting his satchel. He waved for the three to follow him as he approached the busted Automaton.

“Come on, guys, let’s get this done and get to bed. We’ve got a long day tomorrow…”

Up above the heads of the four friends, the gray clouds remained half-coiled around the silvery moon. They neither thickened nor thinned.

The trio didn’t know it, but they were still in the eye of the hurricane, even now.

The true storm would bide its time.


	7. Book I, Chapter VII

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sora and Company finally arrive in the main city of Corona, and reunite with Rapunzel and Flynn Rider.

Book I: Serial Dilution

Chapter VII: Familiar Sunshine

The golden rays of the Sun filtered through the silvery clouds that curled what seemed like only inches away from the battlements of the Castle in Corona’s Capital. There was a slight chill in the air, but the people who lived in the city didn’t seem to mind. They bustled about, to and fro, with gay smiles upon their faces. As long as the Sun shone, there was never anything to fear.

Not far beyond the bridge that separated the island from the mainland, one might have noticed a sturdy wooden cart. It was drawn by an old dapple-grey pony, which chuffed as it shook its stringy mane out of its face. Seated in the driver’s spot was Quirin, who gripped the reins firmly as he kept his eyes forward, the pony trotting along at a brisk but comfortable canter. In the back of the wagon – where normally apples and pumpkins may be stored – sat Sora, Donald, and Goofy, all on one side, while Varian sat on the opposite end. 

Ruddiger was seated happily beside his human owner; he tugged at Varian’s apron. The young alchemist looked to the raccoon and smirked, as the little critter opened his mouth and pointed into it with one paw.

“Fluffy little glutton,” chuckled Varian, and pulled an apple out of the picnic basket on his opposite side. “This is the last one; you’ve already had five!”

He handed the fruit to Ruddiger, who greedily chomped it. His teeth nearly cleaved the apple in two with a single bite, juices spattering his whiskered face.

“Would you guys like anything?” Varian asked, graciously, patting the picnic basket as he looked at the trio.

“I’ll have one of those sandwiches you made,” Sora smiled.

“Same here!” Donald and Goofy chorused.

Varian happily handed them out, and also took one for himself, then looked to the driver’s seat.

“Dad?” he called. “Would you like anything before we reach the capital?”

“I’m fine, son,” Quirin answered, glancing over his shoulder for a moment with a quiet smile before turning back to face the road.

Varian shrugged and unwrapped his sandwich from the paper covering with a light hum. All four of those in the wagon took their first bites at almost the same time…and, also at almost the same time, Ruddiger, began licking his whiskers and sucking his paw-digits as he finished up his apple, carlessly tossing the core over his shoulder and out of the cart.

“Sho, Vuriuhn,” Sora began to ask, cheeks stuffed as he spoke with his mouth full. “Ah wush jusht wunduhrin’…”

“Sora,” Donald interrupted, narrowing his eyes and smirking. “Mind your manners!”

Sora blinked…then smiled sheepishly as he chewed a few times and swallowed. Goofy just chortled at his side and continued eating his own sandwich without a word.

“Sorry,” Sora apologized. 

Varian, whose own mouth was full, waved a hand dismissively, as if to assure his new friend it was okay.

“As I was saying,” Sora tried again, drumming his fingers around the sandwich he held. “I was just wondering how you got to know Rapunzel.”

Varian swallowed and chuckled, as he lifted his apron and dabbed at his mouth oh-so-properly.

“Ahhh…well, y’see, it was like this,” he said, putting his sandwich to one side as he spoke. “You see, a few months ago, she came to my workshop…”

He put on a high-pitched voice and clasped his hands in what could only be described as an overly girly way, clearly trying to imitate the Princess.

“…And she was all, ‘I’m looking for Varian!’ So I was, like…”

He thrust out his chest and put his hands on his hips.

“‘I AM VARIAN!’” he declared, in a deep, resonant tone…before letting out a snorting laugh and once again adopting his “Rapunzel” impression. “Then she said: ‘Hi! Sorry to bother you, sir, but I wanna ask you ‘bout my hair…’”

He froze and shook his head, holding out his hands.

“Oh! Hold on, sorry, lemme back up; I forgot to tell you about the raccoon trap. See, just like you-”

“Hold it, hold it!” Donald suddenly squawked. “Her hair?”

“Gawrsh…didn’t Eugene cut it when we last saw them?” Goofy spoke up.

“Ohhhh, that’s right, you haven’t been here for a while!” Varian exclaimed, snapping his fingers, and cleared his throat. “Ahem! See, for about a year, the princess’ hair was normal, but a few months ago it…grew back. Like…overnight, apparently. Blonde, long, the whole works.”

“Then…she has her healing powers, too?”

“Nope. Not anymore. But something else changed: her hair is completely unbreakable, kinda like the crystals Soranium makes. I should know; I studied it – did, like, EVERY test I could think of.”

He picked up his sandwich again and waved it about a bit as he went on.

“Now, most people say it’s magic, but…yeeeeaaah, personally, don’t believe that.”

As Varian rolled his eyes and took another bite of his sandwich, the keyblade wielder and his compatriots looked to each other, then back at the alchemist.

“A girl suddenly grows her hair overnight – hair that’s unbreakable – and you…DON’T think it’s magic?” Sora said slowly.

“Nope!” Varian chirped after finishing his mouthful. “See, I believe in a simple rule: ‘Any sufficiently advanced science is indistinguishable from magic.’ Heck, there are some people who think alchemy is a form of magic; just a matter of chemicals and minerals and all that jazz.”

Varian shrugged and took another bite. The rest of his friends did as well.

“Varian,” Sora thought to ask after a few moments, “How long ago did the Dark Creatures start appearing?”

Varian’s smile faded; he glanced to one side.

“Literally weeks after she visited me,” he admitted…then glanced to Quirin, and waved a hand for the trio to move closer so he could whisper to them. The three travelers obeyed.

“We know there’s a connection,” Varian said in a low, hushed voice. “The Princess, Flynn Rider, Me…but we don’t know what it is yet. That’s why she asked me to try and figure out an answer. The ‘Heartless,’ or whatever they’re called, are moving closer and closer to the main city, and if all the attacks in Old Corona are a sign…”

He trailed off, ominously. Sora smiled gently and put a hand on the teen’s shoulder; Varian looked a little distressed, but his expression brightened again at the older teenager’s comforting expression.

“We’ll find a way to stop them,” he said, bravely.

“Yeah! We know the Princess, too, after all,” Goofy nodded. “We can probably lend a hand easily.”

“Especially against the Heartless!” Donald agreed.

Varian chuckled softly. Ruddiger, noticing his owner seemed worried, climbed into his lap. Varian petted him gently.

“I hope you’re right,” he murmured…then slowly looked up again. “I’m doing all I can to help, but-”

“We’re here, boys!” Quirin suddenly thundered, causing the quartet to jump slightly. “We’re crossing the bridge into Corona now!”  
The cart pulled into the busy city square of Corona, directly across from Feldspar’s Footwear. 

“There’s some goods I need to pick up before the King holds open audience,” Quirin said to the group, as they hopped out of the cart, Ruddiger once again draping himself across Varian’s shoulders. “Can I trust you all on your own?”

“Don’t worry, Sir Quirin!” Sora grinned, and clapped Varian on the back. “We’ll take care o’ him!”

Varian let out a shrill, squeaky sound, stumbled forward, and gave a slightly forced smile.

“Ha Ha…ouch,” he murmured, softly trying to rub at the sore spot on his shoulder.

Sora flinched and smiled back.

“Ahhh…s-sorry…”

The alchemist’s father rolled his eyes and shook his head, then jabbed a finger in his son’s direction.

“Stay out of trouble,” he warned, in a firm but not unkind voice.

“Psht! Since when have I EVER done otherwise?” Varian grinned innocently, his wide smile matched by the raccoon on his shoulders.

The former knight’s blank expression said it all.

“I’ll be careful,” Varian vowed, seriously, and Ruddiger nodded and gave a thumbs-up, as if to say, Me too!

Quirin’s lips quirked into a smile, and he flicked the reins, driving the pony towards a different shop – a bakery called “Attila the Bun” – while the other four waved farewell.

“See you at the castle, dad!” the boy with blue-striped hair called out, then smiled as he looked to Sora, Donald, and Goofy. “So! Let’s go see the Princess!”

“And Flynn!” Goofy chuckled, and the four headed off in the direction of the glittering palace of gold and turquoise in the center of the island…  
The gates to Corona Castle were guarded by two men, garbed in red and white uniforms and golden armor. One was a broad-shouldered fellow with a bushy black moustache and tanned skin; the other was a pale-skinned man with freckles on his cheeks and a lean, trim build, a few inches shorter than his comrade. Each carried pole-axes, which they crossed as the four strange figures approached the castle.

“State your names and beeswax!” snapped the thin guard.

“Uh…Pete? The phrase is ‘names and business,’” the other guard hissed.

The thin guard blinked.

“…Is it, Stan?”

“Well, I THINK so,” the stronger man frowned, looking like he wasn’t sure.

Varian rolled his eyes, while Sora, Donald, and Goofy chuckled to themselves.

“I am Varian, Son of Quirin,” he began, “And-”

“Oh. The kid who nearly sucked the entire castle into a crazy vortex during the science expo,” glared Stan. “How…nice to see you.”

Sora, Donald, and Goofy’s jaws dropped; just how much trouble DID Varian’s experiments cause?!

Varian flinched and giggled in a nervous, guilty way.

“Uh…ha ha ha…y-yeah, um…and-AND! And these are Sora, Donald Duck, and Goofy!” he introduced the other three. 

“The ones who helped Rider – I mean, Fitzherbert, save the Princess?” gasped Pete.

“Hey, Rapunzel can take care of herself,” shrugged Sora. “We just…leant a hand here and there.”

“We need to see her!” quacked Donald. “It’s really important!”

The guards looked to each other…shrugged…and uncrossed the poles.

“Fine, go on in,” smiled Pete.

Sora, Donald, and Goofy blinked, glanced at each other, then back at the guards.

“That’s it?”

“Yeah. You’re friends of the princess, you helped the kingdom, King’s castle es su castle,” Stan chuckled.

Goofy frowned and scratched his head. 

“Um…but, don’t you need-?”

“Come on!” Sora and Varian suddenly said at once, and all four hurried past the guards and through the castle gates.

The alchemist led Sora and Company into the palace. He smiled as he glanced around at the opulent rooms and halls around them as they marched through. The other three had their eyes open wide as they, too, took in the sights of the immense and beautifully decorated gilded halls.

“It seems bigger than I remember,” murmured Sora.

“It has that effect, I guess,” shrugged Varian.

“HEY! GET BACK HERE, FROG!”

The four stopped in their tracks as a voice bellowed through the Halls ahead. It was soon followed by another voice, and the sound of approaching footsteps.

“PASCAL! STOP! WAIT!”

Around the bend from one of the halls ahead of the trio, a small green chameleon skidded across the well-waxed tile floor of the palace. He smirked over his shoulder and hurried on…then squeaked as Ruddiger jumped down off of Varian’s shoulders and barred his way.

The chameleon stepped back, startled, and then looked up. His little eyes widened as he saw the four larger figures, which waved to him with matching, knowing smiles.

A moment later, another figure rounded the bend.

“There you are! Pascal, you know-!”

The young lady froze, and looked to the four with wide green eyes, which glittered like emeralds. Her lips were painted pinkish-red, and her cheeks were rosy as could be. She wore a fine-looking purple dress that reached nearly to her ankles, and visibly had no shoes on. But the most noticeable thing about her was her hair: braided tightly with multiple ribbons and beaded bands, it was a shade of blonde that seemed to glimmer and glisten in the light that streamed through the palace windows, shimmering like gold coins tossed into a wishing well. Even the light of the Sun seemed pale in comparison.

Pascal darted over to her; the young lady, who looked to be in her late teens or early twenties, bent at the hip and picked him up…then, still holding him in her hands, stood up fully again, her eyes never once leaving the group before her.

“Sora? Donald? Goofy?” she barely breathed.

“Hello again, ‘Your Highness,’” Sora smiled and gave a mock-salute in greeting, then whistled, as if impressed, as he eyed the long braid behind her. “Wow…your hair, it…even all wrapped up, it’s even longer than I-”

He yelped, caught off guard, as Pascal hopped up onto his human friend’s head…and Rapunzel dashed forward and suddenly embraced Sora in a tight, squeezing hug.

“I’ve missed you SO MUCH!” she nearly squealed, and then backed away with a wide, exuberant smile, glancing to Donald and Goofy and hugging them as well. Goofy laughed and nearly fell over as she all but tackled him, and Donald blushed and squawked as she actually lifted him into the air and cuddled him like an oversized teddy bear; Varian and Sora each giggled at the sight.

“It’s been so long, I-I wasn’t sure if you’d all really be coming back!” the Princess cheered, clapping giddily.

Then she turned to Varian…and her smile seemed to grow even brighter as she hugged him too. Varian froze up and let out another squeaking sound, blinking rapidly as his freckled face turned slightly pink.

“It’s good to see you, too, Varian,” Rapunzel greeted him, sweetly, and as he pulled back glanced down with a smirk at the raccoon by Varian’s feet…who was pouting at being overlooked. “And you, Ruddiger.”

Ruddiger perked up and smiled.

“Blondie!” the first voice called again. “Hey, Sunshine, did you-?”

The source of the voice halted quite suddenly as he rounded the bend. His eyes bugged and his jaw went slack as he saw the duck, the dog, and the boy with spiky hair standing in front of him. He was a tall, strapping fellow in his mid-twenties, garbed in a forest green vest and white collared shirt, the sleeves rolled up just under his elbows. He wore light brown trousers, and much darker brown leather boots, along with a matching belt. To one side he wore a leather pouch; the other bore a short sword and its scabbard. His eyes were the color of molten chocolate, and matched his well-combed hair, along with the sharp, short goatee that sprouted from his sharp chin. His whole appearance was bold and classically handsome; heroic, some might say.

It was a pity he looked more like a dying fish for about two seconds, eyes blinking and mouth struggling to form words…before a wide smile stretched across his face.

“Well, WELL!” he laughed, swaggering forward confidently. “My old fellow sidekicks! It’s been AGES!”

“Hi, Eugene!” grinned Sora, and the former thief gave all three of the heroes of light a high-five. Just like Rapunzel, he then turned to Varian.

“Well, well, Hairstripe,” he smirked. “Haven’t seen you since you nearly killed us with your last invention.”

“Yeah! Good times, right?” Varian sang out, not even noticing the tone of Flynn’s words.

“Right,” Flynn said dryly, but with slight amusement…then glanced about nervously. “You, uh…you don’t have another invention around, do ya?”

“Nope. Not today,” Varian said, almost sounding disappointed he couldn’t show anything new.

“No worries,” sighed Eugene, sounding immensely relieved.

Donald and Goofy rolled their eyes.

“What’s going on?” Sora put forth. “You two seemed in a hurry.”

“It was Pascal,” Rapunzel said, and pulled the little chameleon off the top of her head; the lizard squirmed somewhat guiltily. “He was…being rambunctious.”

Pascal smiled sheepishly, and his whole chameleon body turned a blushing shade of red.

“See, Blondie’s Dad is leaving tomorrow on a trip with the queen,” Flynn explained. “So she and I are gonna be in charge for a day.”

“Right,” Rapunzel nodded, and smiled as she stroked Pascal with one finger, the lizard purring as he sat in the palm of her hand. “So he wanted me to sit in on his little ‘open house’ for the day so I could get an idea of what to expect tomorrow. Pascal here didn’t wanna sit around bored, listening to people.”

“You know how frogs are,” Flynn winked. “Can’t sit still for ten seconds without hopping after a dumb fly-BWAH?!”

Flynn nearly stumbled over as Pascal’s long, sticky tongue flicked him in the ear, and the mischievous lizard giggled to himself.

“That’s actually why I’m here,” Varian piped up. “My Dad came for that audience today.”

“Oh, I see,” Rapunzel murmured, looking concerned. “Is something wrong?”

Varian bit his lip; all eyes were on him.

“…I’d…well…you’ll find out when my dad talks to you and your father,” he chuckled nervously.

“Well, that shouldn’t be too long from now,” Rapunzel nodded with a warm smile, then looked to her other friends and former rescuers. “Is that why you’re here too?”

“No,” Sora admitted, shaking his head. “We’re actually on mission; we think there’s something wrong here in Corona, and we wanted to talk to you about it.”

Rapunzel’s concerned expression grew deeper. She and Eugene glanced to each other, then back at the three. 

“We’ll talk in private after Sunshine and her daddy dearest finish their business together,” Flynn said, in a firm sort of tone, placing a hand on Rapunzel’s shoulder. “We’ll have more time then.”

“Is there a place we can spend the next couple of nights, by the way?” Sora put in.

“We may be here a while,” Goofy admitted.

“I can set up a room for you right now, before the meeting starts,” Rapunzel smiled.

“I’ll go wait by the throne room for my dad,” Varian said, picking up Ruddiger and bowing his head respectfully to Rapunzel before beginning to walk off. “See you all later!”

“Later, Hairstripe!” Eugene called out.

“We have a lot to catch up on!” Donald quacked with a smile.

“Oh, you have no idea,” Rapunzel giggled with a twinkle in her eye, and tossed her head, a curl of loose hair flicking as she did. “Come on! We’ve got a lot to do, and not a lot of time…if there’s one thing 18 years in a tower taught me, it’s never waste a moment!”


	8. Book I, Chapter VIII

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Quirin has his audience with King Frederic, and a promise is made.

Book I: Serial Dilution

Chapter VIII: A Promise

“Why do we have to wait out here?”

“Shhh! Sora, keep it down!”

“But it’s sooooooo BORING!”

“Trust me, kid, I know the feelin’.”

Sora groaned and slumped to the floor, crossing his arms in something like a pout as he sat against the wall in a spot just beyond the side entrance to the throne room. Donald and Goofy sat across from him, their backs against a pair of short columns, while Flynn Rider leaned up against the wall quietly, looking up at the ceiling. The group had been ushered out by the King himself; he had welcomed them all happily, but when it came to matters of royal duty, he was a stickler for certain rules.

“A King and His People,” he had explained, kindly, “Need to be on equal terms. If I allow strangers to be present for these matters, the people won’t understand it and might not know how to react. Some things need a bit of privacy. But whatever your mission is, I would be glad to discuss it later, if needed.”

He’d then looked pointedly at Sora with a slight smirk and added: “Besides, children have no place in court.”

Sora had decided at that point that Flynn Rider had a VERY annoying laugh.

Of course, Flynn had been asked to leave, too.

“This is for Rapunzel’s sake, son,” the King had said sternly. “You can’t be with her all the time, you know.”

As a result, the four had been dismissed…but Flynn had found them a spot outside the side door to “listen in, and kept the door slightly ajar without the Royal Family noticing.

“I get the feeling the King doesn’t trust you,” Goofy spoke up.

Flynn shrugged.

“I was a thief for over a decade; I don’t really blame ‘im,” Eugene responded. “Besides, he’s probably afraid my devilishly handsome features will distract the good public!”

Donald snickered, while Sora just sighed and rolled his eyes.

“Ugh…we don’t have time for this,” he grumbled. “We have a quest to get on with!”

“Kid, I don’t know where you’re from, but I already know it ain’t from Corona,” snorted Eugene. “Trust me, I don’t like it any more than you do, but there are rules…and, sadly, now that I need to be Mr. Upstanding Law-Abidng Boyfriend, I kiiinda need to follow ‘em.”

He smirked and thumbed towards the keyhole.

“But, hey…no one ever said eavesdropping was against the law, did they? Therein lies the Almighty Loophole!” he winked, tapping the side of his temple. “Can’t be with ‘em physically, but we can still listen in! Just can’t get caught.”

Sora nodded slowly, while Donald and Goofy groaned slightly. The teenager glanced at the door – or, more specifically, at the keyhole – then back to the goateed ex-crook.

“Think we can take a peek?” he whispered with an impish smile.

Flynn smirked wider and waved a hand as if to say, Be my guest.

“Don’t encourage him!” Donald hissed, jumping to his webbed feet…but by then, Sora had gotten up and tip-toed to the door. He moved so his large blue eye was almost flush against the keyhole, and peered into the throne room.

Rapunzel sat on a small throne to the King’s right, with Pascal on her shoulder. The poor lizard yawned and sighed, clearly bored out of his mind; Rapunzel tried to soothe him with a few gentle scratches along the back of his head. To the King’s left was the Queen, Arianna, who was dressed in dark purple robes and a golden tiara; Rapunzel clearly took after her mother, for aside from the fact the Queen was clearly older (though still quite vivacious) and had very slightly darker skin, the two were very nearly alike in appearance. King Frederic himself was a slightly heavyset man with wide, burly shoulders, dressed in blue and gold; he had short-cut hair and a thick beard and moustache of dark brown, along with steel-colored eyes. A golden crown of his own was set upon his thoughtful-looking brow. 

“Next!” the King called, clapping his hands…and Sora’s eye flickered as he saw a tall, gangly figure with frizzled red hair and crooked teeth step up to the throne. He bowed most low – so low, in fact, his large, round nose nearly touched his toes – then looked up at the King with a nervous sort of smile. 

“Feldspar!” the King greeted with a warm smile, speaking as if the clownish fellow was an old friend (and perhaps he was), the expression matched by the oddball cobbler. “How can I help you?”

The shoemaker took a deep breath before speaking; his voice was flute-like and had a noticeable lisp.

“Your Majethty,” he began, and gestured to his own feet: “Ever thince you repaved the roadth, wear and tear on people’th shoeth have been at an all-time low! Why, no one hath come to my cobbler’th shop in over a week!”

The King smirked, seemingly amused, and shared a glance with the Queen, then stroked his beard thoughtfully.

“Well,” he said with a slight chuckle, “We can’t very well unpave the roads, can we, Feldspar?”

The cobbler hung his head and shook it.

“However,” the King went on, “I believe the Royal Guard is in need of some new boots. Do you think you could provide us with a full order of one new pair for each guardsman by next Tuesday?”

“Oh!” the cobbler exclaimed, looking surprised, then grinned and nodded eagerly. “It shall be done!”

“The Captain of the Guard and I will visit you before our departure tomorrow morning,” promised King Frederic. “Thank you.”

The shoemaker bowed again and practically skipped out of courtroom.

Sora looked to Flynn.

“Do the guards really need new shoes that badly?” he asked.

“Probably not,” answered Eugene. “But the King probably feels its worth the expense to help keep the shoe shop from losing too much. If Feldspar went out of business, who’d be there to fix shoes when the time was needed?”

Sora had nothing to say to that but a quick “Huh,” and looked back into the throne room.

The King had turned to Rapunzel and was speaking with her. Their voices were somewhat hushed, but Sora could still make out some of what was said.

“…You’ll have to be ready for every contingency while we’re away,” he warned his daughter.

“We’ll only be gone a day, Frederic,” Arianna soothed, placing a hand on his arm. “I’m sure she can handle it.”

“Oh, I know she can,” the King said with a smile to his wife, then turned back to his daughter with an only half-joking wink. “But a father can worry, can’t he?”

“I’ll do my very best,” Rapunzel promised. “I’ve already learned a lot here! And I’ll have Flynn and my friends to help me!”

Sora backed away from the door quietly.

“What’s wrong, Lockpick?”

Sora blinked and looked at him, crinkling his nose slightly.

“Lockpick?” he repeated, confused.

“I never gave you a nickname,” Flynn said with a wide, teasing smile. “You’ve got that weird key-sword-thingy that can unlock virtually anything, so…Lockpick.”

Donald and Goofy laughed softly, biting their knuckles to avoid being too loud while Sora blushed at the nickname.

“What’s on your mind, though? Seriously,” Eugene pressed.

“She…puts a lot of faith in us, don’t you think?” Sora replied slowly, gesturing toward the door.

Flynn raised an eyebrow.

“Again, key-sword-thingy that unlock anything. Not to mention you three took out Gothel after she…y’know…”

He proceeded to make a scary face and claw at the air while growling.

“…Went THAT direction. Tie it all up with me as the ultra-heroic guy leading the way, and I’d say she has a reason to have faith!”

He then glanced toward the door with a slightly affectionate smile, as if staring through it and towards Rapunzel beyond.

“Besides, when the chips are down, Rapunzel doesn’t need anybody. We’re just the insurance policy, I’d say.”

Sora felt that last part, at the very least, he couldn’t deny…but there was something unsettling about knowing he’d essentially be working with not just a princess but essentially a queen for a day. He’d gone to many worlds and helped many people, and that was a tough enough responsibility…but knowing that the Heartless had somehow found their way to the Kingdom of Corona made such a burden a bit more strenuous. He kept these thoughts to himself, however.

Then, a pair of familiar voices drifted down the hall, nearing the area.

“Alright, SO! What’s our strategy? I was thinkin’ I could explain what I’ve learned from my study of these creatures, and, y’know, tell His Majesty-”

“Varian, you haven’t got much to report there, have you?”

Sora got up, a curious look on his face, as did Donald and Goofy. The trio peeked around the columns down the dimly-lit hall just beyond. Sure enough, they saw Varian and Quirin marching down the main hall and the primary entrance to the throne room beyond. 

“Oh, but ‘not much’ is better than ‘nothing at all!’” Varian said, emphatically. “Know what I mean? I wish I could have tested that soil sample, maybe I could give some thoughts about their biological makeup from that, or-”

Quirin stopped mid-walk, pinched his brow with one hand, and sighed…then turned and got down on one knee, placing his hands on Varian’s shoulders. The teenager looked confused.

“Son,” he said, softly. “What I need you to do is stay out here and wait for me. I will speak to the King – my friend – alone.”

Varian blinked slowly, and tilted his head, narrowing his eyes slightly.

“Uh…Dad, I…really think I should be there,” he insisted, perhaps a bit frustratedly. “I can present the scientific-”

Quirin lifted a hand in a “stop” gesture, and Varian shut his mouth fast.

“Varian,” Quirin said in a firm but also careful voice, “Children have no place in court.”

When the trio heard that, Goofy tapped Donald’s shoulder and whispered to him.

“Gawrsh…ain’t that what the King said to Sora a little bit ago?”

“Hush!” Donald hissed back.

Sora paid them no heed; his eyes were fixed on Varian, whose eyes became wide and glassy as Quirin stood up again.

“But…but I’m not a…”

He trailed off as Quirin began to walk off. The young alchemist tentatively reached out a hand…then retracted it quietly, looking somewhat hurt and rather unsteady.

“Psst!” Sora called out. “Varian!”

The alchemist jerked about, spotted the keyblade wielder, and, after quickly glancing back in the direction his father had gone, jogged over to him.

“Sora?” he whispered. “What are you…?”

“I couldn’t help but overhear,” he said, and thumbed toward the door behind him. “Care to listen in?”

The young alchemist peered past the teenaged warrior…then smirked, a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

“Well…d-don’t see a reason not to, ha,” he managed to stutter out slightly…and as he drew closer, suddenly seemed to realize the rest of the group. Donald and Goofy waved while Flynn smiled widely and gave the kid a mock-salute.

Varian blinked as he looked about.

“Heh…is this just, like, the First Official Meeting of Team Awesome, or something?” he giggled.

“We can call it that,” Flynn shrugged and gestured toward the door. “We wanted to keep an eye on Rapunzel, so we’re…you know…playing spies!”

He waggled his hands and fingers in the air dramatically.

“Ohhhhh,” Varian nodded slowly, then grinned. “Just like you did in the Legend of-”

“Wrong Flynn Rider,” Eugene interrupted, blandly. “Been over that before, Hairstripe.”

Varian blushed and gave a typically sheepish smile.

“Right. Ha ha…s-sorry.”

“Quirin, my old friend!”

The voice of the king rang out from inside the throne room. Varian’s eyes became locked on the side door.

“Dad? Already?” he murmured to himself, and then hustled over to the door. He peered quietly through the keyhole.

Inside the throne room, Quirin stepped up to the foot of the throne and dropped to one knee.

“Greetings, Your Majesty,” he intoned, deeply.

“You, of all people, need not bow to me, Quirin,” Frederic said with an almost brotherly expression.

Quirin smiled thinly, but respectfully remained on one knee, even as he lifted his head.

“How goes the time in Old Corona?” Arianna spoke up.

Quirin glanced to her, then back to Frederic. He cleared his throat.

“Ahem…Your Majesties…I’m afraid to say Old Corona is facing quite the dilemna.”

The King glanced to his wife and daughter, then looked back to Quirin, tilting his head slightly.

“Oh?” was all the King had to respond with, his voice quite cool.

Quirin nodded, and his smile widened, though it seemed somewhat forced.

“Yes, you see…our harvest this year has proven quite bountiful. Far more than any of us anticipated.”

Varian’s eyes widened, and his jaw dropped in disbelief.

Flynn eyed the boy’s reaction curiously, and frowned in confusion.

“Hairstripe?” he urged, carefully, “What’s the matter?”

Varian shook his head slowly, still looking through the keyhole, but said nothing.

“So bountiful, in fact,” Quirin went on, in the meantime, “That I fear I must request more land to help us manage it all. I know that it is a hard thing to ask of you, and that it comes to you very suddenly, but believe me, I have no other choice.”

“What?!” gasped Sora, Donald, and Goofy, who had heard everything.

“Would one of you tell me exactly WHAT is wrong?” Flynn hissed. “Because I know that-”

“SHHH!” all four hushed him, and Flynn lifted his hands in a placating gesture, stepping back in surprise as he shut his mouth. 

Inside the throne room, Frederic narrowed his eyes, his bushy eyebrows furrowing. Rapunzel glanced between Quirin and the King patiently. Arianna tapped Frederic’s arm, and he leaned closer to her.

“Dear, we received no such reports before,” she whispered. “Don’t you think we’d have learned this sooner?”

Frederic hummed quietly, but said nothing. He leaned back in his throne for a moment, looking at the ceiling…then seemed to make up his mind about something as he rose imperiously.

“Quirin,” he said, in a lordly yet somehow calming voice, “I am pleased to hear this news, and even more pleased to grant your request.”

Quirin smiled with a sense of relief.

“Thank you…old friend,” he said, and then rose, bowed his head respectfully, and turned on his heel before marching towards the exit of the throne room. 

“Next!” the King bellowed.

“No,” Varian whispered. “No, no, no…”

The group around the alchemist jumped and fell back with a sharp cry as the teenager suddenly dashed past them. 

“GYAH!” they all yelped.

“Dad!” Varian called out. “DAD!”

Inside the throne room, Rapunzel’s ears pricked up, and she and Pascal glanced towards the side door. Her eyes narrowed.

“Dad?” she whispered. “May I be excused for a short while. I’ll be back soon.”

Her father nodded, and the Princess rose and strode across the throne room, while the next person – the candymaker, Uncle Monty – stepped into the audience chamber.

Rapunzel strode towards the side door, and carefully stepped through it…then shut it behind her before looking down with narrowed, expectant eyes at the dog, duck, teenager, and ex-thief who were all steadily getting back to their feet.

“Well?” was all she had to say, while Pascal stood on his hind legs, tapping his foot against her shoulder impatiently.

All four smiled with embarrassment.

“H-Hi, Sunshine,” Flynn stammered. “Y-You, uh…you won’t believe who we ran into…or, ah, who ran into us, I should say…heh…”  
Back in the main hall, Varian finally caught up with Quirin. The smile he had held in the throne room had faded into a stormy sort of look.

“Dad!” he gasped out, managing to get in front of his father. “None of that was true!”

“You heard?” Quirin scowled.

“Every word,” Varian nodded with a grim expression, and gestured back down the hall towards the chamber’s main entrance. “Old Corona’s being destroyed! Wh-why would you…?”

“Old Corona will endure,” Quirin responded, somewhat gruffly. “You’ll have to trust that I can handle this.”

So saying, the father began to push past his son…only for Varian to suddenly grab onto his arm.

“But how?!” Varian cried out. “H-How can I…trust anything when my own father lies to the King’s face-?!”

The teen’s words were cut off as Quirin’s fist clenched and he leaned close, an icy look in his eyes.

“That’s enough, Varian,” he almost growled.

Varian froze up and gulped nervously, trembling a little.

“…Y-Yes, sir,” he barely breathed.

Quirin grunted and pulled away, then continued down the hall.

“I’ll meet you back at the wagon,” he mumbled over his shoulder.

Varian watched his father go with wide glassy eyes…

…And the moment Quirin was out of sight…his fists clenched and his shoulders bunched as he ground his large teeth together.

“Varian?”

The alchemist turned to glance back over his shoulder briefly, and found Sora and Rapunzel striding toward him. He shut his eyes and turned away from them again.

The Princess and the Keybearer looked to one another. Rapunzel stepped forward.

“Varian,” she began to say, in a soothing, gentle voice, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Is everything okay?”

“NO!” the teenager blurted out, sounding on the verge of tears as he jerked his arm away. “No, it’s not okay!”

He took a deep, shaky breath, then wiped his arm on the back of his glove before turning back to look at the Princess.

“I told you something was wrong, didn’t I?” he said gravely.

“You indicated it,” Rapunzel answered slowly. “But your dad just told-”

“My dad lied,” Varian said, bluntly. “Rapunzel, the situation in Old Corona is getting worse. The Dark Creatures have been coming faster and faster.”

“How much worse?” Rapunzel urged, tenderly. “And…how much faster?”

Varian hung his head, his blue-striped bangs falling over his eyes as he looked to the floor.

“A lot worse,” he muttered. “And a lot faster.”

“I was there,” Sora spoke up, and Rapunzel glanced to him as he moved closer, a surprisingly serious look on his face. “Princess…I don’t know why Quirin said what he said, but…the Heartless were attacking Old Corona as recently as last night. I stopped them with the help of my friends, and only earlier that same day, we had to save Varian from some more. I haven’t been here to know just how bad things have gotten, and how quickly…but the people are scared, and their homes are being ruined.”

Rapunzel’s eyes widened and she looked to Varian with deep worry.

“I’m not hurt,” Varian peeped with a timid smile, but it was gone as quickly as it came.

Rapunzel paused…then placed both her hands on Varian’s shoulders as she smiled benevolently.

“Don’t worry, Varian,” she said. “I haven’t forgotten our agreement. We WILL figure out why these creatures have been popping up so often recently, and we WILL make sure no one gets hurt because of them. We’ll work it out together.”

She glanced to Sora.

“All of us,” she smiled wider, then looked back to Varian. “Things will be okay. I promise.”

Varian blinked up at her, not unlike a small child looking to its older sister for comfort…then turned his head with a jerk as a moment later as Rapunzel removed her hands, and one of Sora’s fell upon his shoulder from the side.

“Trust her,” Sora said, and placed his free hand to his chest. “And trust me. Because I’M going to promise that, if you ever need my help, I’ll be there. No questions asked.”

Varian glanced between the two…then smiled hopefully.

“Thank you,” he whispered…then took another breath and squared his shoulders, stiffening his posture. “Well, um…I b-better catch up with my dad and find Ruddiger. The sooner I get back home, the sooner I can get back to work on our…heh… ‘secret mission.’”

The pair nodded and allowed Varian to go. They watched him leave for a moment, then turned away and began to walk down the hall. 

Varian paused, glanced back…and saw their backs retreating and disappearing around a corner.

He paused….then continued on his way without a word.

Outside, the gray clouds had turned a shade darker than before.


	9. Book I, Chapter IX

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our heroes spend their first night in Corona Castle...

Book I: Serial Dilution

Chapter IX: Night

“I hope you guys will be okay all sharing one room.”

“Trust me, we’ve had worse.”

“Yup! Wouldn’t be so bad if Donald didn’t snore so much…”

“I DON’T SNORE!”

“Ah. Denial. The First Sign of a Snorer.”

“Is that experience talking, Your Majesty?”

“No, that’s my wife talking.”

Donald Duck pouted while his companions chuckled. He, along with Sora and Goofy, were following another trio: King Frederic, Rapunzel, and Flynn Rider. (Pascal the chameleon, seated on Rapunzel’s shoulder.) The King had offered the group a room in the castle to stay, at Rapunzel’s behest, and offered to bring them to the room himself. 

The King of Corona stopped before a lavender-colored door, which he opened with a golden key, then stepped aside, hands behind his back as he kept his posture straight. The remaining five all stepped into the well-furnished, well-kept guest room beyond. It was a charming chamber: a large bed with purple and gold covers and pillowcases, set in a huge brass-lined frame, sat between two mahogany dressers. There was a quaint little fireplace, and the fire had been prepared ahead of time; it crackled pleasantly, giving the whole room a warm, orange glow. A wide, elliptical window with huge purple curtains could be spotted at the far end of the room; the view of Corona at night just beyond was quite staggering, the lamps and lanterns from the town and candlelight hues from other visible rooms of the castle all speckling the inky darkness like spots of gold on a sheet of black velvet. The moon and stars shimmered like silver trinkets overhead.

“Wow,” Sora breathed.

Flynn Rider whistled.

“Wow is right,” he murmured, then looked to Rapunzel. “Hey, Blondie, how come THEY get a nicer pad than me? Seriously.”

Rapunzel giggled and gave her boyfriend a peck on the cheek, while the King just rolled his eyes.

Goofy lumbered over to the bed and sat upon it; he bounced a few times and poked the mattress.

“Gawrsh,” he mumbled, then chortled. “A-Hyuck! Nice an’ comfy!”

Donald happily waddled over to the fireplace and began warming his tailfeathers with a sigh.

“I hope everything will be to your satisfaction,” the King said with a bow of his head, then gestured for Rapunzel and Flynn to follow him out. “Come along, you two…”

“Ah, actually, Dad,” Rapunzel spoke up, somewhat shyly, holding up a finger in emphasis as she spoke, “Do you mind if Eugene and I stay a little longer? We just…need to have a little chat with our friends.”

“After all,” Flynn smirked, “How can we POSSIBLY expect my sidekicks to get along here without a rundown of the rules from their fearless leader?”

“You mean the rules you constantly break, Fitzherbert?” the King retorted in a bland but not unkind sort of voice.

“Details, details,” Flynn snorted, waving a hand dismissively.

The King raised an eyebrow, looked back to Rapunzel, then shrugged.

“Very well. Your mother and I will be retiring to bed shortly. We want to make sure we’ve packed thoroughly for our journey tomorrow…”

The King paused, a look of concern in his eyes.

“…You’re…sure you’ll be alright?”

“I’ll be fine, Dad, I promise,” Rapunzel nodded.

The King nodded back, uttered an unusually quiet “Goodnight,” and then closed the door behind him as he left.

As soon as the King was gone, a serious look came to the faces of Flynn and Rapunzel. They moved across the room towards a large chest with a cloth-covered lid that sat by the window, and sat upon it. Sora sat on a stool nearby, while Goofy retained his place on the bed, and Donald began to warm his feathery hands.

“So,” Rapunzel began, in an almost business-like way, “I’m guessing those Dark Creatures are the reason you’re all here?”

“There’s only so much we can tell you,” Sora admitted. “But yes, that’s the long and short of it.”

“We were kinda hopin’ you might have some information on why they’re here,” Goofy put in.

“The Heartless seek hearts to feed upon; they consume entire worlds and plunge them into darkness,” Sora warned. “If they’re in Corona, either someone let them in, or they’re seeking a way to tear this world to pieces.”

“Oh, well that’s pleasant,” mumbled Flynn. “You know, a year or so ago, if you told me little black devils were going to destroy the entire world, I probably would have looked at you like you’re crazy.”

Pascal, who had been quiet and still for much of this time, suddenly stood up on his hind legs, his scales turning black as he tried his best to look like a heartless, baring his scaly paws like claws. Rapunzel rolled her eyes with a light smile.

“Varian said the Heartless were moving closer to the capital,” Donald observed.

“Closer to the Castle,” Goofy put in with a nod.

“Any idea of what they could be seeking?” Sora asked.

Rapunzel’s smile faded. She brushed a hand through a loose curl of hair that had fallen over her face, moving it aside.

“I was adventuring beyond the capital city, at the outskirts of Corona,” Rapunzel started to say, quietly, “Near where Varian’s village is. I found this weird outcropping of what looked like black rocks. I touched the rocks…and the following day, I woke up to find my hair had grown back. The rocks disappeared…and that’s when the Heartless did appear.”

Sora frowned and placed a hand to his chin in thought.

“Well, that’s too obvious to be a coincidence,” he murmured, but silence prevailed after that. He found he had nothing else to say.

It was Flynn Rider who broke the silence, clearing his throat and standing up, straightening his vest and running a hand through his well-groomed hair.

“Well!” he grinned, perhaps a bit more awkwardly than he personally liked, “Considering Sunshine here is going to be playing Queen for a Day tomorrow, I think it’s time we all turned in. After all, I need my beauty sleep; as King for a Day, I’ll have to make sure I’m all set to look good while relaxing on the royal throne!”

Rapunzel rolled her eyes as she rose and nudged her beau in the ribs. Donald, Sora, and Goofy all chuckled.

“You’re sure you’ll be okay here tonight?” Rapunzel asked gently.

“Better!” Donald smiled.

“We’ll be okay, Princess!” Goofy nodded.

“You just get a good night’s rest; we can talk between things tomorrow,” Sora agreed.

“I’ll do my best,” Rapunzel said, and she and Flynn began to head toward the exit…

…But just before leaving, Rapunzel stopped…and turned back around.

“There’s one more important thing…”

“Sunshine…”

“No, Eugene, they probably should hear this.”

Flynn frowned and backed away, head dipping in an expression of surrender as he sighed through his nose. Sora, Donald, and Goofy looked at the pair, then to each other, then back to Rapunzel.

“What is it?” Sora urged, gently.

Rapunzel took a deep breath. Pascal smiled soothingly and patted the shoulder he sat on, as if to encourage her and comfort her.

“For the past couple of weeks,” she said at last, “I’ve been having nightmares. Or, I guess, more like one recurring nightmare. It’s always the same each night…”  
Rapunzel opened her eyes and blinked them blearily. She rubbed at them as her senses steadily returned to her. The golden-haired princess could hear enchanting music coming from just beyond her door. She glanced about, looking for Pascal, but the little chameleon was nowhere in sight.

The music seemed to grow louder, rising to a grand, symphonic swell. Curiosity enticed, Rapunzel rose and approached her bedroom door.

There was a flash of yellow light…and then she gasped as she found herself suddenly standing in the grand ballroom of the palace. All of the court was gathered, dancing gracefully in spiraling patterns around the room. She spotted Eugene laughing and chatting with a friend of his – a dark-skinned man dressed in red – in a corner of the ballroom, each with a glass of champagne. Her mother, meanwhile, stood in another part of the room, speaking with a pair of prim-and-proper duchesses. The princess quickly turned, and found that her bedroom had disappeared.

Before she could question the anomaly, Rapunzel felt a hand gently clasp her shoulder and turn her around.

“There you are!” chuckled a deep, affectionate voice. “I was wondering when you’d arrive…”

Before she knew it, Rapunzel found the hands guiding her in careful circles, and was dancing across the ballroom. She and the figure twined between the other partygoers, brushing past Fitzherbert and Queen Arianna a few times, but they didn’t seem to notice…or, at least, didn’t seem to care. The princess felt as if her feet barely touched the floor; there was a warmth and a safety that she felt in those hands – a sense of tender but passionate care. Not romantic – hardly that at all. More protective and…nostalgic. Like a memory long since passed.

She looked up…and found the hands belonged to her father, who smiled somewhat mischievously as he led her in an elegant waltz.

“You seem surprised, darling,” the King smiled.

“Dad, what is all this?” Rapunzel gasped.

The King’s smile became somewhat sad.

“I’m…sorry for not sharing things with you sooner, Rapunzel,” he said quietly, as if they had been talking about such a thing moments before. “But I promise, it was only for your own good.”

“Not…for my…? Dad, I don’t-”

The King gave her a fatherly kiss on the forehead.

“It’s fine,” he whispered. “I’m going to make it up to you. I’ll keep you safe, my dear…”

Then, the hands suddenly gripped hers tighter, and the dance stopped. The fingers seemed to become bony, and more possessive; like a dragon clutching a handful of gold.

And a half second later…her father disappeared…as Rapunzel found herself gaping with horror into the face of the wrinkled, aged Mother Gothel. Gothel smiled with crooked teeth, her old eyes alight with deadly fire.

“…I’ll do anything to keep you here with me,” the witch hissed.

And that is when everything went horribly wrong.

With a BANG! like a firecracker, three black rocks burst from the ground directly under Gothel’s feet, and the witch let out a bloodcurdling shriek as she crumbled into gray-white ash. Rapunzel stumbled back, and gasped with shock as the ballroom candles were suddenly blown out, as if by a cool, wet wind, leaving the room gray and lifeless looking.

A pool of darkness formed in the very center of the ballroom, and the Dark Creatures – the Heartless – sprang from the abyss. They were the Shadows; dark, insectoid imps with no armor and no markings, their yellow eyes unblinking as they began to scramble from the abyss and move towards the partygoers, like rats scampering from a hole in a ship. The ballroom erupted into panic as guests screamed and fled, flailing their arms as they tried to escape the black imps.

The Queen and Eugene came running up behind Rapunzel, clearly intent on helping her…but then suddenly stopped in place. It was as if their feet were glued to the ground. A second or two later, the same pools of blackness formed beneath them…and dark, shadowy talons clutched at them and began to drag them into the floor.

“RAPUNZEL!” Arianna wailed, as she fell onto her belly, and began clawing at the floor, trying to get away. “RAPUNZEL, HELP!”

“GET AWAY FROM ME!” Eugene spat, trying to kick at and pull away from the dark talons, but they only pulled him into the blackness faster. He reached out a hand towards Rapunzel. “BLONDIE!”

Rapunzel wasn’t sure when her hair was undone, but it suddenly trailed behind her as she flew towards her mother and her fiancé…but it was too late. Both let out a final howl…before disappearing into the darkness. Rapunzel collapsed to her knees, locks of glittering yellow hair falling about her face as she pounded at the floor, the dark pools disappearing as if they were never there at all.

“NO! NO, GIVE THEM BACK!”

Tears sprang to the princess’ eyes as she felt sobs heave through her.

“…Give…give them back…”

For a moment or two, she cried in silence, the room suddenly deathly still and quiet…then, she felt a light tug on her hair, a few yards behind her.

“Be careful, Rapunzel.”

Rapunzel, eyes still brimming with tears, turned fast…

…And found Varian standing behind her, some of her hair clenched tightly in one gloved hand. His expression was hollow, his voice empty and almost mechanical. The alchemist’s baby blue eyes, once filled with light and life, were as cold and sharp as shards of ice. 

“Be mindful of your choices,” Varian droned. “Or everything you hold dear to your heart will be in grave danger…”

Then came the final horror: Varian released her hair…and a moment later, seemed to grow larger and darker. A horse with burning red eyes seemed to form beneath him from a cloud of foul black smoke. It rose on its hind legs…as its rider’s head seemed to catch fire! The rider then removed his own head…

…And Rapunzel screamed, as the fireball came careening towards her, the sound of a bone-chilling laugh filling the air around her…  
“Then I wake up,” Rapunzel said quietly, staring at the floor.

She lifted her eyes to look at her friends.

Donald had jumped into Goofy’s arms, the pair hugging each other and shaking with terror.

Sora, meanwhile, looked more intrigued than afraid, leaning forward with interest.

“Anything else?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Flynn answered for the young lady. “Anytime she wakes up, her hair goes absolutely nuts.”

Sora raised an eyebrow.

“The last time I woke up,” Rapunzel elaborated. “My hair…it’s like it had a life of its own. I woke up and it had coiled around different objects in my room…including Pascal…”

The lizard let out a soft, comforting, almost forgiving squeak as he nuzzled against Rapunzel’s neck. Rapunzel smiled nervously and lifted a hand, cupping it against her friend.

“…I would never want to hurt Pascal,” she murmured, sounding shaken.

“What do you think it means?” Sora inquired.

“I was hoping you could tell me,” Rapunzel answered.

Sora bit his lip, then looked at Flynn Rider.

“What about you?”

“I think it’s a warning,” Flynn said. “That much seems obvious. But I’m not exactly a fortune teller or whatever, so I can’t say what the warning is ABOUT.”

“Anyway, I…thought you might need to hear it,” Rapunzel shrugged.

Sora stood up and moved over to her, and took her hands carefully.

“We’ll stop the Heartless,” he whispered. “And whatever happens tomorrow, we’ll be here for you. We’re not leaving till we figure out the answer to what our Master said was happening here.”

Rapunzel nodded, and without another word, she and Flynn left the room.

Once they were gone, Sora turned…and smirked as he saw Donald and Goofy still trembling in each other’s arms.

“Oh, come on, you guys! It wasn’t THAT scary.”

“YES IT WAS!” both yelled.

Sora laughed, then clapped his hands together, shaking off his worries.

“Well! We’ll figure it out later. One bed, three of us, so…Rock, Paper, Scissors for who gets it?”

“You’re on!”

“I’ll play ya!”

Goofy won.  
Meanwhile, miles away in Old Corona…

Quirin’s chest moved up and down as he slept soundly in his bedchamber. The moon was half-obscured by the still gathering clouds above, the stars beginning to wink out, one by one. The old knight had informed the people of Old Corona, upon his and Varian’s return, that the King had given them new land to encamp upon, until the problem of the Heartless had been solved. The moving process had begun immediately; helping his fellow villagers haul crates and load wagons all afternoon and part of the evening had been most tiring, and the retired soldier had happily collapsed into his mattress after blowing out his candle.

The ex-knight was so deep in slumber, he never heard the faint creak of the hinges of his bedroom door…and only grumbled in his sleep and rolled over as a scant beam of amber light fell across his face.

Varian’s eyes were narrowed almost into slits as he peered into his father’s room. He paused for a moment to make sure Quirin would not awake…then tip-toed inside, holding his lantern in a trembling hand.

“Running away from the problem won’t solve anything,” he murmured to himself. “You know that, Dad. You had to have a reason…”

He approached his father’s old chest.

“…And I’m going to find out what it is.”

He placed his lantern on the floor, and picked the lock with a bent pin he’d taken from his workshop. The rusted lock made an unpleasant “clacking” sound as it opened. Varian winced and glanced back towards his father.

Quirin slept soundly, even snored.

Varian let out an unsteady sigh of relief, and opened the chest.

“I will find out the truth,” he whispered. “I’ll find a way to help; I won’t screw it up this time.”

He pulled a scroll from the chest, and clutched it tightly.

“I Will Make You Proud.”

As Varian re-locked the chest and crept back out of the room…just outside the window, one might have seen the clouds swallow up the moon, bathing everything that had once seen light in total darkness.


	10. Book I, Chapter X

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dark clouds brew over the Kingdom of Corona, but at first, it doesn't seem like they are any real danger...the keyword being "at first."

Book I: Serial Dilution

Chapter X: Snow Day

Sora yawned as he slowly began to come out of his deep sleep. The fire in the room he and his friends had been given had gone out during the night, and the first thing his conscious senses took note of was that it was unusually cold. It was winter in Corona, certainly, but he hadn't felt this cold the day before!

The spiky-haired teenager reluctantly threw aside the cover of the sleeping bag he had been snoozing in; Donald was still slumbering in one of his own, quacking quietly in his sleep, while Goofy snored away in bed, whistling through his large teeth with each exhalation.

The teenager rubbed at his eyes, yawning again and smacking his lips as she scratched his side…then tilted his head and blinked as he saw a strange, white shimmer coming through the closed curtains of the window in the room. He somewhat unsteadily got to his feet and moved over to the window, pulling open the curtains…

…And his jaw dropped at what he saw. The clouds that had gathered the day and night before had finally loosed their bounty onto Corona.

"Snow," he breathed…then a childish, eager smile came over his face as she hurried to wake his friends up. "Hey! HEY, DONALD! GOOFY! GUYS, IT'S SNOWING!"

An hour or two later, Sora and Company hurried out of the palace and trotted into the castle courtyard. A blanket of purest white, sparkling in the sunshine that shone through the gaps in the gray clouds above, was spread out before them, covering much of the grounds and dusting the paths – the paths would have had more on them, but some of the servants had just finished clearing them for easier movement. Donald had used his magic to create thick winter coats and mittens for himself and his two traveling companions; wrapped up warmly in such gear, Sora grinned widely, blue eyes bright and shiny, as he felt a kind of deep warmth fill his heart. It was like Christmas had come early!

The trio headed towards the gates; Flynn Rider, Rapunzel, and of course Pascal (once again perched on Rapunzel's shoulder) were all assembled in a line. They were also dressed in winter gear: Eugene Fitzherbert was garbed in a wooly green cap and matching jacket and mittens, while Rapunzel wore a long, pink coat lined with fur, as well as a pair of pink earmuffs and winter gloves.

The King and Queen stood by the Royal carriage; Arianna wore a large wooly blue hat, and a similar long coat to Rapunzel and gloves to Rapunzel; hers were in shades of blue to match her headgear. Frederic was garbed in a darker shade of blue, with a royal feathered cap that likely didn't help much for warmth, but certainly looked fitting atop his regal head.

At the head of the gilded carriage, the trio noticed a familiar white stallion, the strong horse standing tall and proud, his light yellow mane, cut short in the style of many military steeds. The horse glanced back over its shoulder and grinned, then let out a celebratory neigh as it saw the trio approach.

"Hey there, Maximus!" Sora called out with a wave. "Long time, no see!"

The teenager's call attracted the attention of Eugene and the royal family. They all smiled, and Pascal gave a friendly wave.

"Well, there you all are," chuckled Frederic. "We were hoping our guests would be on time to see us off."

"Sorry if we're a bit late," Goofy apologized. "I guess we slept in a bit…"

"No worries," Arianna said in a soothing tone that made all three smile and feel even warmer yet; it was as if every word was perfectly motherly, no matter who she addressed.

The Queen then turned to Rapunzel and gave her daughter a hug. Pascal joined in, hugging and nuzzling against the Queen's neck.

"We'll send a message your way as soon as we reach the mountain retreat," the Queen assured her daughter.

"I'm so excited for you guys!" laughed Rapunzel as she pulled back, then looked to the white horse. "Take good care of them, Max!"

Max nodded and smiled proudly, holding his head high as he snorted out steam from his nostrils into the cold air. Pascal gave the horse a thumbs-up.

"Now, you two kids have fun!" teased Flynn with a chuckle…which subsided at the dry look the King gave them. Frederic glanced about, taking in the sight of the snow-covered courtyard; he seemed rather worried as he also eyed the clouds overhead.

"You're positive you'll be fine on your own?" he urged Rapunzel. "Because…we could stay. We have plenty more anniversaries to look forward to in the future, I'm sure."

"Frederic!" snickered the Queen, nudging him in the chest.

"Don't worry, Dad," Rapunzel soothed. "I've got this."

"Yeah, Your Majesty!" Donald grinned stepping forward and puffing out his chest. "We'll have everything under control!"

Frederic looked doubtful. The worried look he noticed on Pascal's face did not help his nerves, either.

"Ah…thank you," he said slowly…then blinked as he glanced toward's Eugene's booted feet. "Wait…I'm sorry, are those MY boots, or…?"

"Why, would you look at the time!" laughed Flynn and hurried to move behind Sora and Goofy. "You two had better get a move on, or you'll never get there before nightfall!"

Frederic scowled half-heartedly, while Sora, Eugene, and Goofy all flashed innocent smiles.

"They're right," Rapunzel said, and gave her father a hug. "And I won't let you down."

"I know you won't, sweetie," the King smiled, brushing a thumb against her cheek. "Just remember this: when you have to take the lead – even for a short while – many voices will cry out to be heard. Never forget that the voice in your heart is the one you should follow."

"I'll try to remember," Rapunzel swore, and then bid her parents a final farewell as they stepped into the carriage. Max let out a short whinny and then galloped out of the castle gates, towing the carriage behind him with a confident puff of air.

The five heroes waved farewell to the couple, and then sighed with some relief as the carriage disappeared into the snowy streets.

"Well, Sunshine," Flynn said, placing a hand on Rapunzel's shoulder, "What's first on today's agenda? Because I was thinking a good ol' fashioned kitchen raid would be-GAH?!"

Flynn yelped and stumbled forward as a snowball smacked into the back of his head, knocking his cap over his eyes. He glared vengefully back at Sora, Donald, and Goofy, as the two cartoonish animals sniggered, and Sora, innocently, turned his head up towards the sky with a whistle.

Rapunzel and Pascal glanced at each other with matching smirks.

"I think I have an idea for how to get this day on a good foot!" the Princess nearly sang.

Sometime not so long after, Rapunzel stood on the balcony outside the palace, with two ramps leading up and down from the speaking area to the courtyard below. Sora and Flynn stood to her left, while Donald and Goofy stood to her right. Several dozen people had gathered in the courtyard below, after receiving word from the town crier that the Princess had a proclamation to deliver.

Rapunzel stepped up to the railing, placing her gloved hands upon it.

"Ahem!" she coughed, and then lifted her arms as she raised her voice, letting it ring through the snowy sky: "Friends and Loyal Subjects! As your Temporary Queen, I hereby declare today to be…A SNOW DAY! "

A hearty, happy cheer rose from the crowd; in an instant, people were taking advantage of the moment. A group of kids gathered together to build a snowman in the courtyard (the King and Queen had never minded such antics, and Rapunzel certainly didn't), and another group of people found the frozen pond in the courtyard and began to skate. Still others left the courtyard entirely, heading back to their homes to enjoy the day off from work and have fun in the snow with their families.

Rapunzel grabbed Eugene's hand with a grin and pulled her beau towards one of the icy ramps.

"C'mon, Eugene!" she sang out. "Let's slide!"

"Uh…B-B-Blondie!" Flynn sputtered. "Sunshine, I'm not…look, I'm awesome, I know, but I'm not that good at-YAAAAAAH!"

"WOO-HOO!" cheered Rapunzel as she and her reluctant boyfriend slid down the icy slope of the ramp and thudded into a soft bank of snow at the bottom. "Ha HA! That was fun! I was never able to play in the snow back in my tower; what else can I do?"

"You could help me out, for a start," came Flynn Rider's muffled voiced; he had landed into the snow bank headfirst.

Sora chuckled at the sight…then yelped shrilly as he felt something wet and round hit him in the shoulder. He turned and looked down…and found Donald and Goofy each at the bottom of the other ramp, bouncing snowballs in their palms with challenging smiles.

Sora matched their grins.

"Ohhhh-ho-ho, if that's how you two wanna play it!" he cackled, and formed a snowball of his own before hurling it towards them. He'd been aiming for Goofy's chest, but the bipedal pooch clumsily managed to bound out of the way. Donald ducked and hurled his snowball at Sora.

The keybearer ducked the snowball, and with a whoop and a holler slid down the ramp on his feet, almost like he was surfing a wave. As he went, he gathered snow in his hand off the railing, then hurled it in a loose clump towards Donald. The duck quacked as he lifted an arm to shield his eyes…at which point Goofy, who had recovered tossed a snowball at his tail.

"WAAAAK! HEY!" Donald exploded, and began to chase after Goofy. "You're gonna pay for that one!"

Goofy chortled and tried to run…by the angry duck tackled him into snow and began to tickle him.

Sora grinned as he watched his traveling companions battle it out…then, as if by instinct ducked as a pair of snowballs flew over his brown-haired head. He whipped around fast…just fast enough to see a green jacket and a flash of golden hair dive behind two bushes.

"Bad form! From the back?" he jeered.

"Says the kid who nearly knocked my hat off!" came Flynn's voice.

Sora rolled his eyes and prepared another snowball.

"Okay then! I'll take you all on!" he taunted, somewhat dramatically…and the moment Rapunzel poked her head out, a ball of snow ready to hurl at him, he pitched his first.

"Hey!" giggled the Princess as her hair was dusted with white powdered crystals.

"NONE CAN DEFEAT THE MIGHTY SORA!" laughed the teenager, as the snowball battle continued, dodging pitches from right and left as Donald and Goofy's laughter rang out behind him.

Maybe Yen Sid WAS wrong, he began to think. After all, on a day like this was turning out so far…what could possibly go wrong?

Old Corona was silent and empty in the snow. Quirin had seen to it all of the people in the village by now had been moved to the land Frederic had granted. He'd put Peter in charge of taking care of things till he got there, shortly explaining there was some business he needed to take care of before he moved himself.

In the old, dark castle he called home, the middle-aged ex-knight quietly opened the chest near his bed. He sighed softly as he pulled an old helmet, with a long scratch running along one of the eyeholes, out of the box. His reflection was murky and gray as the cold sky outside as he stared into his own eyes in the long-unpolished metal.

Quirin's eyes drifted upwards as he looked at the painting he had hung over the spot where he kept the old chest. The image showed a younger, more clean-cut vision of himself, a look of absolute love and bliss in his eyes as he held onto the shoulders of a young, red-haired young lady with baby blue eyes. The woman smiled with equal love, both of them looking down at the little white bundle in her arms…from which out peeked the round, bare head of a bucktoothed baby boy, with eyes just like his mother's, freckles on his little rosy cheeks.

Quirin smiled a faltering, frail smile, and wiped the back of his gloved hand across his face. He put the helmet back in the chest and turned his head down, continuing to rummage through the items within, taking careful stock of the contents…

…And steadily, as he went through everything…his expression changed. The sentimental softness left his eyes as his search became slightly more feverish. His face visibly shifted to confusion…then worry…then realization…

…Then something between both anger and dread.

"The Scroll," he whispered to himself…then looked back over his shoulder towards his door…as if looking past it and down the stairs beyond.

"Varian."

"Never give up, Ruddiger!" Varian declared, pounding one fist on his table, while his raccoon buddy nodded in decisive agreement. "Physical force can only keep these 'Heartless' at bay for so long…but these creatures have never had to contend with the awesome power of Alchemy!"

He snickered with glee and then turned his attention to the scroll he had unfurled across his table. He rubbed his chin in thought with one hand, as the other spread out the scroll and smoothed its surface.

"The answer has to be here somewhere!" he insisted, and then moved to his chemistry set, looking it over thoughtfully. "If I can just find the reason, I can find a way to fix the Soranium, o-or maybe brew something new to deal with these monsters! It's only a matter of time before they attack again, and I don't think changing locations will stop them. We don't know how far, exactly, they've spread!"

Ruddiger nodded again, then scampered over and carefully climbed onto the chemistry table. He began to inspect various vials on a rack, as if looking for some special ingredient.

Varian smiled at his pet, then turned back around and lifted the scroll in both hands. He gave it a shake and bit his lip as he tried to read the ancient runes upon it.

"I'm just trying to decipher this legend…if I can work out-"

"VARIAN!"

The teenager squeaked like a trapped mouse and jumped, instinctively shoving the scroll behind his back. Ruddiger yelped and rolled off the table, before scampering to hide behind the curtained alcove of the laboratory.

"Oh! Oh, uh…h-hi, Dad!" Varian grinned oh-so-innocently. "Is, um…ah…h-have you finished getting ready to…you know…heh heh…oh, boy, I'm in trouble…"

Quirin scowled as he entered the lab, shutting the door behind him.

"So," he almost growled. "You DO have the scroll."

Varian gulped.

"Scroll?" he replied in a strangled sort of voice. "Wh-what scroll?"

"This is about those dark creatures, isn't it?" Quirin snapped. "I thought I told you…!"

"Ye-yeah, um…okay, listen, dad, I know what you said, b-b-but-"

"THEN THERE SHOULD BE NO MISUNDERSTANDING!" Quirin shouted, and stomped forward. He reached over his son's shoulder and snatched away the scroll from behind his back. Varian flinched and let out a small, sharp whimper, turning his eyes downward.

"Son, I know you mean well, but those things…and all of THIS?" Quirin went on, gesturing to the workshop with the beaten-up parchment roll. "It's all too dangerous! Listen to me now: you should-"

"NO!

Quirin jumped back, startled; in fact, nearly shocked. His son had never – not once, in his entire, short life – snapped back at him with such volume and vehemence. The young alchemist was shaking, looking either on the verge of breaking down into tears or laughing hysterically, seething as he looked at his father icily.

"NO, YOU LISTEN TO ME!" Varian yelled. "Dad, our village is DYING! Corona itself is DYING! You think running away is just going to fix everything?! No! Those creatures aren't going away, and I KNOW I can stop them!"

"There's more going on than you realize," Quirin responded, darkly.

"Then tell me what you know!" Varian almost pleaded, voice beginning to grow shaky as he wiped a tear from one of his eyes. "I-I only want to help! I just want you to see what I can do, a-and I can't fix ANYTHING if I don't know how! Please, Dad, just…I deserve to know! D-Don't I?"

Quirin opened his mouth to respond…then suddenly froze. His eyes widened with horror.

"Varian…VARIAN, LOOK OUT!"

The alchemist yelped as suddenly his father charged forward and shoved him to one side. He then drew the short sword from the scabbard at his side, and swung it outwards…

…It swiped through mid-air, as the pair of Heartless that had suddenly materialized in the room – both of them Soldiers, the same kinds that had attacked Varian before – leapt back and away from its sharpened steel point.

Varian stumbled back and caught himself against his chemistry table, gasping with fright as he watched his father swipe and stab at the two Dark Creatures, desperately fighting to fend them off, kicking one to the side when it got too close, then blocking the talons of another.

"Run, Varian!" Quirin bellowed over his shoulder. "Get out of here, now!"

Varian gulped. Run? How could he run?!

"I can't just leave you here to fight them off!" he protested.

Quirin was about to answer…then gasped as the Heartless pounced, and he fell to the floor, nearly on his back, parrying their claws with his blade. The man hit the deck near the alchemist's writing table.

"Just GO!" Quirin roared. "That's an order, boy!"

Varian blinked…then glared.

"Ohhhh, you should NOT have called me 'boy,' Dad," he mumbled, and suddenly ran towards his chemistry set.

"Son? Varian! What are you doing?!" Quirin snapped, as he struggled to get the Heartless away from him, their crimson claws inching towards his chest…

Varian snatched up the flask that contained the Soranium and unsealed it.

"Alright, you…you…whatever-you-ares!" he snarled. "You asked for it! NOBODY MESSES WITH MY DAD!"

The Heartless paused…and their unblinking yellow eyes turned towards Varian, peering at him through their visors.

"You want something to eat?" Varian grinned. "Then EAT THIS!"

And without another word, the teenager hurled the beaker at the Heartless.

KRA-THWOOMPH!

The glass shattered and a cloud of yellowish mist filled the room. Varian coughed and fanned the air; his eyes stung briefly from the pungent smell of the stuff…

…Then he looked up and saw the two soldiers fleeing from the laboratory; they vanished through a pair of dark portals before reaching the door.

Varian blinked, stunned…then grinned widely and began to dance in place, pumping his fists.

"Yes! YES! Ha Ha Ha HA! BOOM, AND THERE IT IS!" Varian cheered, and shook his fist after them. "That's right, run away! Bunch o' little scaredy-goblins! Am I the Awesome Alchemist, or AM I THE AWESOME-?!"

"Son…"

Varian froze mid-rant…then slowly turned.

His face went gaunt and pale.

The amber-like crystals he had learned his formula had sprung from the spot where the glass beaker spilled and broke…and as the cloud of mustard-colored mist cleared…he saw his father's entire left side was steadily being engulfed by the crystals as they grew, his arm, hip, and leg already covered in the golden, translucent, glassy constructs as they rose from the floor. Quirin groaned and strained, trying to pull himself free; he pounded at the crystal with his fist, but of course, the amber was unbreakable. Varian had tested it himself. Hammers, hacksaws, gunpowder…nothing.

"No…no, no, no, no!"

Varian tried to move closer.

"Dad! D-Dad…Dad, ho-hold on, I'll get you out…!"

He tried to move around the steadily growing crystals…but a sharp spike jutted out, nearly colliding with him.

"No!" Quirin urged, and held out his hand to stop his son. "Stay back! Please…"

Varian felt his heart pounding as his father gave him a pleading, desperate look. His baby blue eyes flickered as the gears in his head turned fast, desperately looking for a solution. Then, a lightbulb seemed to go off over his head: he'd used the Darkness to create this stuff.

And he had a feeling he knew what might fix that...

"I'll…I'll go get help!" he insisted, nodding energetically. "I swear, I'll…I'll save you, Dad! I'll be back soon, please, just…!"

He trailed off, not finishing his thought, as he raced towards the door out of the laboratory. He grabbed a fur-lined cape of gray, a matching jacket, and a satchel, and then hurried out.

"Son, Wait!" Quirin called out…but either Varian didn't hear him, or simply didn't listen. As the door to the workshop shut, Quirin sighed deeply, his good shoulder slumping. He could hear Varian's footsteps drawing further away. There was a look of tragic resignation in the former warrior's face.

Quirin glanced towards the drafting table…and stretched out as much as he could. He managed to get hold of one of Varian's pencils and a small piece of parchment, and began to scrawl out a message onto it as fast as he could…

Even as Quirin scratched out the message on the paper, Varian stepped out of the castle. The snow was coming down steadily harder. There was no cart, no pony…he'd have to walk. He'd have to run. He pulled his goggles over his face, and lifted the walking stick before pulling three vials from his satchel. The lad gave them a careful shake, and all three – one purple, one green, and one blue – began to glow in the dim gray light.

Varian tied the vials to the walking stick, creating a makeshift glowing staff…then, with a look of resolve on his face, marched off into the snowstorm.

I will save the day this time. Whatever it takes, I'll make it all up to you, if it's the last thing I ever do. And maybe when I get back…you'll realize that you never actually knew me at all.

As the Alchemist vanished into the snowstorm, Sir Quirin winced as the cold, amber crystals covered his chest and part of his left shoulder. He lifted the paper up, trying to keep it as far from the crystals as he could…

"Please, hurry, Varian," he nearly sobbed to himself, for once finding his own eyes laced with dew. "And please be careful…whatever happens, just be careful…"

And with those words, Quirin fell silent…and waited.


	11. Book I, Chapter XI

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The storm worsens, and the King and Queen of Corona find themselves in mortal peril...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AUTHOR'S NOTE: I just wanted to address something really quick that came up recently, and explain the issue, because I know several fans of "Rapunzel's Tangled Adventures" are probably wondering about it and maybe even waiting for it.
> 
> The character of Cassandra will NOT be in this story. And before you all throw your tomatoes at me, or grab your torches and pitchforks, this is not because I dislike the character. I love Cassandra; alongside Varian and perhaps Eugene, she's my favorite character in the show. But the issue is that both she and Lance (another character missing from this story) were characters who, while huge parts of the series, I couldn't find a way to integrate properly with this story. In Lance's case, Sora, Donald, and Goofy alike all kind of filled out his role, so to speak. As for Cass...it broke my heart, but every time I tried to find a way to work her in, I found it either distracted from the core story I was trying to tell, or else she got pushed aside so much it felt pointless to have her. And if there's one thing I hate more than not using a character - in my own work or in anything else anyone has ever done - it's WASTING a character.
> 
> The problem, you see, is that the SHOW wasn't Varian's story. It was the story of Rapunzel and Cassandra, at the end of the day. So for him to not be there all the time made sense; he wasn't the focus, he was just a fun side character. And while myself and many others fell in love with him, he only needed to fulfill his purpose, nothing more. In contrast, this story IS Varian's story, as well as Sora's; not so much Rapunzel's, and certainly not Cassandra's. They have their own arc that deserves its own amount of focus. I already have considered doing a sequel revolving around that matter, but I cannot say AT ALL when it will be done, how will be done, and if it will be done at all. This mega-crossover is going to be GIGANTIC, and it's going to take a while.
> 
> So, to those of you who love Cassandra, and are disappointed by her absence: please understand, I love her, too. And if I could have found a way to fit her in without making things feel any more cluttered, I would have. But in the end, she just wasn't needed for THIS story. With that in mind, for those of you who are enjoying this, let's move along...

Book I: Serial Dilution

Chapter XI: The Storm Worsens

The great, spiraling path of the Corona Mountains was painted a glistening blue and white. However, those traveling up the sloping roadway had neither time nor inclination to revel in the beauty of the scenery. The snow fell heavier than ever here, wind whipping and whistling around Max's head. The great white steed whickered as he kept his head low, squinting his eyes as his trot slowed to a march; it was more important to move safely, he felt, than swiftly. The path was narrow, and as they were more than halfway up the main peak, a fall could be disastrous. Maximus glanced to the left and right in a cautious, alert manner; if anybody wished to do the King and Queen harm, these conditions could potentially prove ideal…but of course, the conditions themselves were plenty treacherous enough. The stallion's hooves sank into the snow at his feet past his ankles, and the royal carriage squeaked and rattled behind him. Each one of the guard horse's breaths came out in silver puffs of warm mist as he bravely continued on his way.

Inside the carriage, the Queen and the King glanced out the right window, looking over the snowy terrain beyond.

"I can't remember the last time it snowed this much," mused Arianna.

"Hmm…seems like there's more to come," muttered Frederic.

Arianna looked to her husband with mild concern.

"Is something the matter, dear?"

"I don't know, Arianna…maybe we SHOULD return to the castle."

She smiled gently.

"You're still worried?"

"Not for the same reasons," Frederic insisted.

Arianna gently placed a hand on her husband's own.

"We'll be alright, dear. And Rapunzel will handle well. She has Eugene, not to mention those old friends of hers."

"Yes. My entire kingdom and my daughter's life is in the hands of a teenaged boy, a talking dog, a bad-tempered waterfowl, and a former highwayman. I feel SO much more relieved."

Arianna frowned sternly.

"If you had such concern, truthfully, you should have voiced it MUCH sooner," she said, crisply.

Frederic sighed.

"I'm sorry. I…I know I'm being cynical, I've never had a reason to distrust the boy and his friends, at the very least," Frederic said with an apologetic expression. "And Rapunzel believes in Eugene; I've come to terms with that, and he's not really a bad fellow. But…with everything that's been going on, Rapunzel's safety matters more to me than ever. More than…more than even you may realize."

Arianna's smile returned, and she scooted closer to Frederic.

"You don't think it matters to me?" she said softly, reasonably. "My daughter was scarcely in her cradle, and then I never got to see her again for eighteen years. Believe me, Frederic, I understand how you feel. But you mustn't get so nervous."

The King had a haunted look in his eyes; a look that indicated there was something he wasn't sure if he should tell his wife or not.

He opted not to.

"At any rate, my real concern – at present – is this weather," he instead, instead. "I'm not sure continuing in these conditions would be-"

His statement was proven correct before it was even finished.

Fate can be most impressive, that way.

As Maximus moved along, an icicle the size of a chandelier suddenly snapped from one of the rocky outcroppings above him, and came crashing towards him. Max was a valiant steed, but like any horse, something very large and very sharp smashing down inches away from him was…well…startling to say the least.

The guard horse reared up and backed away. The carriage shook and rocked violently, causing the King and Queen inside to cry out sharply and grip their seats tightly.

They had every reason to worry; for one of the carriage's wheels suddenly slipped off the path, and the weight of the coach began to pull them further and further away, towards the precarious edge. Max gasped and whinnied loudly, as he desperately dug his hooves into the snow and tried to pull them away as hard as he could, and tow the coach to safety.

This was perhaps a tragic mistake; the combination of the horse's rough pulling, and the shift of gravity on the carriage caused the ropes to fray, snap, and break apart…and Max let out a shrill cry of horror as the royal coach went tumbling roof-over-wheels over the side of the peak…

CRASH!

Maximus stared over the side of the peak; through the blinding blizzard, he spotted the coach lying on its side on a small plateau amidst the rocky ridges. He cried out loudly into the screeching wind; the sound echoed everywhere, and he heard the distant cracking of ice from the peaks around him. He quickly went quiet; he didn't want to make things worse with an avalanche.

Max waited for precisely ten seconds, to see if the King and Queen would give any sign back; there was no response. That didn't mean they couldn't hear him, or even that they were done for. The horse's heart pumped rapidly, and without any further hesitation, he whipped around and galloped as fast as he could back down the spiraling main peak. He had to get back to the island. He had to get back to the castle.

He had to get back to the Princess…and hope he wasn't already too late.

The sky was growing darker and darker in Corona as the snow continued to fall. Rapunzel grinned as she patted down the last bit of snow on a snowman she'd made near some rose bushes in the court yard. She stepped back, sticking her tongue out and putting up a thumb as she examined her work.

"Seems okay," she murmured, and turned to Pascal, who was seated near her feet. "Do you have the finishing touches?"

Pascal nodded and pointed with his tail toward a small bag. Rapunzel grinned and reached into the bag, pulling out some sticks, a few lumps of coal, a carrot, and a pair of button eyes…and a few other "ingredients" to top it all off…

Sora, Donald, and Goofy approached her from behind, along with Flynn Rider.

"Whatcha makin' there, Sunshine?" Flynn asked, with interest.

"Ahhh, you're just in time!" the Princess smiled, and stepped aside, revealing a smiling snowman with a pair of stick arms, two brown button eyes, a carrot nose…and a wig that resembled Eugene's hairstyle.

"Behold! Eugene Fitz-snow-bert!"

Flynn's smile fell and one of his eyes twitched.

"…I am nowhere near that round," he responded, and looked down at himself. "Am…Am I?"

Sora and Company snickered while Rapunzel giggled.

"But seriously, not bad for a first attempt, Blondie," Flynn added.

"Thank you, I'm-WHOA!"

Rapunzel cried out as a sudden gust of fierce wind nearly knocked her off her feet. Sora hurriedly jumped forward and caught her.

"Careful, Princess!" he chuckled.

"Thanks," she sighed with relief as she regained balance. "I'm still trying to get used to this weather…has it ever snowed this much before?"

She addressed the question to Flynn. He shrugged.

"Not that I know of," he admitted. "But snow is only part of the problem. The wind is the real-"

"WH-WHO-WHOA!" Goofy suddenly cried out as another gust of wind blew and knocked the clumsy knight on his back…and Donald squawked loudly as he landed on top of him.

"Hey! Get off me!" Donald quacked, looking quite red in the face.

"Gawrsh…sorry!" Goofy apologized with a giggle, and uneasily got to his feet.

The three humans chuckled at the three…but they looked worried as they glanced about. It suddenly occurred to them that the torches in the courtyard were steadily being blown out, one by one, and that the people in the courtyard were beginning to do more shivering than frolicking. The wind was beginning to grow louder and fiercer.

"This is starting to get bad," murmured Sora, and turned to the pair. "I think this 'snow day' needs to draw to a close."

"He's right, Blondie," nodded Flynn. "It's getting late, and it's getting cold."

"I don't want to make these people have to return home in this weather…it seems like the wind could cause a lot of problems…"

"Like what?" Donald spoke up as he and Goofy got back to their feet.

"When I was in my tower," Rapunzel said, grimly, "The wind would get so bad it would make the whole place shake, and 'Mother' would have me replace the shingles on the roof whenever they got knocked out of place."

She shivered and huddled in on herself, hugging her own arms about her, as Pascal nuzzled into her neck, trying to bury himself in her own body heat.

"…This wind is just as bad, and doesn't seem like it's going to stop or die down."

"Why not invite the people here into the palace?" suggested Goofy.

"Yeah!" Sora nodded. "Give them hot cocoa; maybe give them a large room to hunker down in till the storm passes."

"Good plan," Rapunzel agreed, then stepped forward and called out. "Everyone! For your own safety, please head inside the castle! We're going to take care of things here till the storm passes, but it's time to make sure to get out of the snow!"

A few groans of people clearly still having fun were heard, but the vast majority seemed in favor. After telling Stan and Pete and the other guards to help usher people into the Grand Ballroom, Rapunzel turned to Flynn.

"Head into town and spread the word; try to get as many people here as possible before this gets any worse," she said, softly.

"I'll do my best," Flynn promised.

"We can help, too!" Sora put in.

"Four is better than one," Goofy nodded in agreement.

"Thanks, sidekicks," grinned Eugene. "Let's get-"

A loud, screeching, braying sound caught their ears. Startled, Sora instinctively summoned the keyblade and turned…

…As through the palace gates, a familiar white horse wearily marched into view.

"Max?" Donald and Goofy exclaimed in unison.

Rapunzel and Sora glanced at each other and hurried towards the tired horse, who panted as he came to a stop, his knees visibly shaking slightly; whether from exhaustion or the cold, they could not tell.

"Max, are you okay?" Sora asked.

"Maximus, where are my parents?" Rapunzel nearly gulped.

Max looked at both of them with huge, sad, sorry eyes…then whickered sadly and looked down again.

Flynn, brow furrowed in concern came striding up beside them. He bent down at Max's side…

…And lifted the remains of the broken carriage ropes.

All three of them felt their blood run cold.

They didn't say a word.

There are no words when you come to an obvious conclusion.

Less than a mile beyond the bridge that separated the capital of Corona from the wooded mainland, a lone figure in goggles – his blue-striped hair whipping about his face – came over the crest of a snowy hill. He gulped and panted slightly, clutching his cape about him to try and keep warm. His heart still hammered a staccato rhythm behind his little ribcage.

His baby blue eyes brightened with a look of hope as he gazed at the silhouette of the King's Castle in the distance.

"I'm almost there, Dad," he puffed into the whistling wind. "I'm almost there…just hold on…"


	12. Book I, Chapter XII

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Varian reaches the palace, and tries to get help from Rapunzel & Sora...

Book I: Serial Dilution

Chapter XII: Broken Words

A tall, able-bodied man – garbed in the armored uniform of the palace guards, with special, draped shoulderpads that indicated his higher rank – marched into the audience chamber of Corona Castle. He was a grizzled fellow with a thick, curly moustache, and sharp eyes like an eagle’s. 

The man eyed the group that stood awaiting his presence in the throne room: the Princess, her beau, and the strange trio of the boy, the dog, and the duck. They were all pacing to and fro and chattering quietly among themselves. As he entered the room, all eyes turned to him in a flash.

“Captain!” Rapunzel gasped, clasping her hands as she saw him arrive. “Has everyone been brought to shelter in the ballroom?”

“Everyone from Old Lady Crowley to Ulf the Mime is accounted for,” the Captain nodded stiffly. “I have Pete & Stan watching the gates, and the rest of the guard is helping to make sure the people are kept comfortable.”

“Thanks, Cap,” Flynn said with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

The Captain nodded respectfully back, then turned to Rapunzel. 

“Was there more you needed, Princess?”

Rapunzel nodded, a light of determination in her emerald-colored eyes.

“Captain,” she said, “I need to go find my parents.”

“With all due respect and sympathy, Your Highness…as of now, you are the Acting Queen,” the Captain said, the sternness leaving his expression and posture. “You can’t just leave the kingdom, especially not in a storm like this.”

“But I can’t just leave them to freeze!”

The Captain shook his head.

“Rapunzel, going out in this weather is a virtual death sentence; you cannot go!”

“He’s right.”

The pair turned as Flynn spoke up.

“You can’t, Rapunzel,” he said faintly. “But we…”

He gestured to Sora and his friends.

“…We can.”

“But…but the Captain just said…”

“Please,” Sora chuckled, “We’ve faced worse than some bad weather before!”

“Rapunzel, the mountains made for a great hideout back in the day,” Flynn persisted. “I know those roads better than anyone in Corona. With their help, and with Max’s help, we can do this.”

“Your Highness,” the Captain spoke up, “No disrespect to these fellows, but shouldn’t the guards be the ones to go?”

Rapunzel opened her mouth to answer, but looked unsure. She turned to look back at Flynn.

He smiled kindly, shook his head, then looked to the Captain.

“If this storm keeps getting worse, or something happens to us out there, this kingdom will need its guards.”

The Captain’s moustache bristled; he seemed at a loss for words.

“Rapunzel,” Sora urged softly, moving closer to his friend, the princess, “It’s your call.”

Rapunzel bit her lip, eyes darting about for a moment as she stepped away from the group, clearly trying to make up her mind…

…Then, a distant voice came ringing out down the hall.

“Rapunzel! Sora! SORA! RAPUNZEL!”

The keyblade master and the princess jerked with a start as the throne room doors opened…

…And in sprinted Varian, his shoulders still covered with fine powdered snow, his eyes wide and desperate looking.

Stan and Pete followed close behind him; the two clumsy guards finally caught up with him and grabbed his arms. Varian yelped sharply. 

“Hey! HEY! L-Lemme go…!”

“Sorry, Princess,” Stan grunted.

“He slipped right through our fingers!” Pete exclaimed.

The Captain scowled and moved towards Varian and the two guards…but Rapunzel stopped him with a wave of her hand. She and Sora both moved forward.

“It’s okay,” Rapunzel told the guards. “Let him go.”

Stan and Pete obliged, and Varian promptly scrambled over to the pair, nearly tripping on his own feet.

“Oh, thank goodness! Thank goodness!” Varian panted out.

“What’s the matter?” Sora asked.

“Varian, are you hurt?” Rapunzel prodded.

“No! Not me! My Dad! He’s in danger!” Varian said in-between heaving, wheezing breaths. “Y-You’re the only ones who can help me, please! You have to come to Old Corona! Now!”

Rapunzel and Sora glanced to each other, then to the group around them. The Captain and the Guards looked confused. Flynn and Goofy looked concerned. Donald looked impatient.

“Uh…c-can you guys all, just, excuse us for a minute?” Sora piped up, and he and Rapunzel led Varian just outside the doors of the throne room, back into the hall. 

“What is wrong?” Rapunzel urged, gently.

“It’s…it’s the Dark Creatures – the Heartless!” Varian jabbered out, speaking very fast and gesticulating wildly. “They…I-I tried to stop them, but…the crystals, they’re encasing – ENCASING my dad!”

“Encasing?” the two heroes responded in unison.

“Come! Come see for yourself!” Varian cried out, in a mixture of urgent desperation and hope. “You can help! One of you, both of you! Th-The creatures have a connection to you, Rapunzel! A-And Sora, you’ve dealt with them before, you have that…the keyblade, you can…!”

“Varian, it’s a state of emergency here,” Rapunzel tried to explain, cutting him off quickly. “I…I can’t help you! Not right now.”

Varian gasped, closing and opening his mouth a few times; he seemed utterly stunned. He looked to Sora, eyes flickering.

Sora flinched at the pleading, potent stare the younger teen flashed his way. It felt familiar, somehow…and not in a good way…

“Varian…I have a mission, a-and the King and Queen here are in danger. I…I can’t help…”

“But…but you said you’d…you’d be there if I needed it…”

He turned to Rapunzel, so fast that she nearly jumped.

“And you! Y-You said…said everything would be okay, s-said we were in this together…!”

“We are, Varian, and it will be!” she insisted. 

“We just need time to get things fixed,” Sora put in. “We want to help you, just…we’re not able to here.”

“Just let me get things sorted here,” Rapunzel nodded. “I’m not-”

“No! Nononono!” Varian squeaked out, in a wild sort of way. “My dad can’t have much time! You’re the only ones who can help! You know how to deal with darkness! Rapunzel, Sora, please!”

“Princess!”

The Captain’s barking cry suddenly caught them all off guard as he stomped forward. He glared at Varian, then looked to the other two.

“Princess, whatever this boy’s problem is, it has to wait. You and your friend here have more important matters to attend to; the whole kingdom-”

“NO, PLEASE!”

The Captain gaped as Varian suddenly threw himself forward, and grabbed Rapunzel’s arms. The teenaged eccentric began to shake her, strands of hair stuck to his face from the moisture of the snow and his own sweat. The Captain’s glare grew stronger, and he waved a beckoning hand towards Stan and Pete, who began to hurry over…

“Please, Princess! Rapunzel! Please!” Varian all but cried. “Y-You have to help me! You HAVE to! You must! You promised you would! You promised-AH!”

“Varian, stop! Please, listen to us! That’s enough, Varian!” Sora hissed as he tried to pry the younger teen away. He had noticed the guards approaching, and, afraid for the alchemist’s safety, tried to stop him before things got any worse. His attempts fell on deaf ears, however, as the other boy thrashed and kicked like a wild thing.

“Let go! Y-You can’t do this to me! You CAN’T! Please, if she can’t, you have to…Sora, please! Don’t…!”

Stan and Pete suddenly snatched Varian away. He tried to break away again…but this time, they caught him fast.

“Take him away!” the Captain of the Guards thundered.

“Careful!” Sora exclaimed.

The two guards were already dragging Varian away; the heels of his boots skidded on the ground as he squirmed and tried to flee, but their grip only got tighter.

“Princess! Keybearer! My dad needs help!” he tried again.

“Don’t hurt him!” Rapunzel begged.

The pair watched as the guards carried Varian – still kicking and screaming – down the hallway. He shot them a final, almost unhinged, pleading stare, and screamed at the top of his lungs…

“RAPUNZEL! SORA! YOU PROMISED! YOU BOTH PROMISED!”

And then he was gone.

Silence.

Dead Silence.

“…Rapunzel…”

“…Sora…”

The two turned to the sounds of Flynn and Goofy’s voices.

“We’re still waiting on a decision, Princess,” the Captain of the Guards said, quietly.

“What do you want us to do?” Donald quacked mournfully.

Rapunzel looked to Sora. He bit his lip, and stepped back, clenching his fists and bowing his head.

She looked away…then buried her head in her hands. She shook here head once…then mumbled out her orders.

“We’re following Eugene’s plan.”  
“HELP! PLEASE, HELP!”

Varian continued to yell and cry out as he was dragged through the Grand Ballroom. All around him, he saw the Citizens of Corona, drinking hot cocoa as they rode out the storm. He tried to break away, to see if there was anybody – ANYBODY – who might be willing to help him in some way. Someone to talk to Rapunzel, someone to talk to Sora…someone he’d never realized held an answer, just…just SOMEONE, anyone!

But every shout and every yowl was ignored. Some of the citizens turned their backs deliberately toward him, either looking sorry for him but helpless, or even looking annoyed by his yammering. Others didn’t even seem to notice him at all, too caught up in their own little worlds.

Varian felt the world spinning out of control as they exited the palace. The wind squealed like a thousand plague rats in his ears, and prickled his cheeks like a thousand needles. His pleas became mindless, wordless bawling, wailing in the wind’s airy handling. He kicked and struggled harder than ever; he felt the grip of the two guards loosening…

Too little, too late.

“STAY OUT!” Stan thundered.

“AND BEHAVE!” snapped Pete.

The pair kicked open the castle gates and tossed Varian onto the snow-covered streets beyond. Then, before he could get back to his feet, they slammed it shut…and locked it tight.

Varian all but roared as he slammed his fists into the gate…but to no avail.

Finally, reason and sanity began to swirl back into his mind, at least to some extent. He gulped back several sobs; his heart felt like a knife was slowly being driven into it…

“…I’ll do it alone,” he nearly whimpered to himself. “If that’s the way you want it…I’ll do it on my own.”

And without another word, the Alchemist turned tail and began to run back towards the bridge. Back towards the mainland. Back into the woods.

Varian never looked back…and because he never looked back…he never noticed the dark pools that formed just a few feet before the gates seconds after he took his flight…


	13. Book I, Chapter XIII

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Eugene prepares a rescue party to save King Frederic and Queen Arianna, Sora and Rapunzel find their help is needed much closer to home...

Book I: Serial Dilution

Chapter XIII: Black Ice

In the Castle Stables of Corona, the doors rattled and banged loudly as the wind buffeted against them. The scream of the icy gale even put the hardy guardsmen’s horses ill at ease, the equines fidgeting on their hooves and whickering with worry. Flynn Rider swung himself up into the saddle on the back of Maximus. The white stallion had a solemn sort of look on his face as Rapunzel petted his muzzle.

“Both of you need to be careful,” she almost pleaded.

The ivory steed let out a snort and nodded.

“We’ll do our best, Sunshine,” Eugene Fitzherbert smiled, then looked over his shoulders as Sora, Donald, and Goofy entered the stables.

“Do ya remember where ya lost the carriage, Max?” Goofy asked.

The horse nodded again.

“Well, then this should be a piece of cake!” Eugene grinned, sounding more confident than he perhaps truly felt. “We’ll head out and bring them home in time for cake and ice cream!”

Sora raised an eyebrow and gestured towards the rattling stable door.

“I think ice cream is the last thing anyone will want in weather like-”

BANG!

Max reared up in surprise, nearly throwing Flynn off, but the ex-thief was able to get the horse under control. Several other horses neighed loudly in surprise and jumped in their stable pens as the doors were blown open by the force of the blizzard, snow swirling into the stables as the wind doused many of the torches that kept them lit.

Donald and Goofy yelped, with the duck leaping into Goofy’s arms in surprise; Rapunzel and Sora each lifted their arms to guard their faces, squinting through the snow.

“Gosh,” Sora murmured, as the wind settled just enough for him to speak, “We…w-we let the guards send Varian out into…?”

“Varian can take care of himself,” Rapunzel said, but she didn’t sound even halfway certain about that fact. “We’ll worry about him later. Right now, the whole kingdom could be at stake.”

“Right,” Flynn Rider nodded, putting on his most serious face as he addressed Sora and the team. “Loyal Sidekicks! Our next adventure is about to begin! Hop on, and-”

Max let out a complaining whinny. Flynn rolled his eyes and patted the horse’s neck.

“Look, big guy, I know it’s gonna be heavy with all four of us up here, but we’re gonna need all the help we can get. Just bear with it for my sake?”

Max looked at Flynn boredly.

“Okay, fine, if not for me, then for the King and Queen.”

Max’s let out a sound and made a face more like an oversized guard dog than a horse, and lowered himself, putting his head near the ground, as if ordering the trio to get on.

Goofy clumsily climbed aboard first; Donald helped to make sure the bipedal canine didn’t flop over like a fish, and then bounced onto the horse’s back, as well.

Sora climbed on last of all. Max groaned and struggled, but managed to stand. 

“Pascal!” Sora called.

The little chameleon, who was seated on Rapunzel’s shoulder, as usual, blinked up at the teenager and squeaked.

“Take good care of that princess of ours, right?” Sora smirked.

Pascal smirked back and gave a salute.

Rapunzel giggled softly…but any levity the moment might have brought was soon destroyed when a commotion was suddenly heard outside. The group was alarmed by what sounded like loud scratching and scraping noises, and the muffled shouts of the Captain and the Guards, along with frightened cries from the villagers.

“Something’s wrong!” Donald quacked.

“Oh, gee, ya think?” Flynn snorted, and flicked Max’s reins. The horse bounded out of the stables, with Rapunzel and Pascal following as fast as they could.

The white wind had grown bolder yet; the sky was a dismal shade of dark gray as the snow curled and whistled through the dark air around them. The lanterns in the courtyard swung back and forth like overactive pendulums at its force…and in their light, the shadows were visible.

The shadows, in question, being…well…Shadows. The most common form of Heartless: small, black imps with crooked claws and long, insectoid antennae, along with the typical glowing yellow eyes – the only spot of color one could find. They were relatively harmless one at a time, or even in small groups…but as more of them gathered and swarmed, they became more deadly.

A swarm was exactly what seemed to have arrived: a gathering of no less than two dozen Shadows were clawing at the Palace doors, having broken through the gates.

“The Black Creatures,” gasped Rapunzel.

“If they get into the Palace, everyone will be…well…it won’t be pretty,” Flynn shuddered.

Almost without thinking, Sora suddenly leapt back off of Maximus. The white horse, feeling the weight lessen, let out a confused, surprised neigh.

“Sora!” squawked Donald.

“What’re ya doin’?!” Goofy yelled.

“I’m staying here,” Sora declared, as he summoned the Kingdom Key into his right hand. “Someone’s gotta make sure those things don’t get inside.”

The dog and the duck looked ready to argue, but Eugene stopped them with a wave of one hand.

“We’ll take care of Rapunzel’s mom and dad,” he said, gravely, then looked to Rapunzel.

“Make sure the kid doesn’t work too hard,” he said, with a slight smirk.

Rapunzel didn’t smile back.

“Let’s go, Max!” Flynn shouted, flicking the reins once more. Max let out a loud call of determination, and Donald and Goofy held on as tight as they could as the noble steed galloped off. The equine loped out through the broken gates of the castle courtyard, and disappeared into the snowstorm beyond.

Sora took a moment to watch the four leave, then turned to Rapunzel.

“I can hold them,” he said, grimly. “You should go inside and make sure-”

He was stopped as he noticed Rapunzel had undone her hair, the golden locks flowing freely to the ground. The Princess brushed some stray strands out of her face…then reached into her thick winter coat, and pulled out a medium-sized frying pan. 

“If you think I’m letting you have all the fun,” she smirked, twirling the frying pan in her hand, “You’ve got another thing coming.”

Sora blinked.

“…How did you even…?”

Pascal let out an alerted squeal as, suddenly, a couple of Shadows punched a hole through the palace door.

“Okay! Got it!” Sora exclaimed, and held his keyblade ready. “Stop the monsters first, ask the impossible questions later!”

Without another word, the Princess and the Keybearer charged towards the two dozen Shadows. Rapunzel’s hair whipped about in the wind like the wings of a golden eagle, and Pascal let out a shrill squeak that was probably meant to be some sort of battle cry.

Four of the four-and-twenty Heartless were startled by the approach, and turned to face the oncoming fighters. Sora leapt forward and swung out his keyblade…and with a single slash, sliced through both of the Shadows. The minor Heartless were easily felled with the blow, each convulsing briefly before disappearing in a puff of black smoke.

As for the other two Heartless, Rapunzel took hold of a long, flowing “bundle” of her own hair, and swung it out like a bullwhip. The golden strands lashed about one of the Shadow’s ankles, and with a jerk, she snapped it back towards her and then swung with her frying pan as hard as she could.

Frying pans are great, but they aren’t the Keyblade – a weapon designed to deal with such dark forces. The Shadow did not fall instantly, but its vacant golden eyes seemed to flicker, as if a sign it was fading into unconsciousness. It dropped onto its back, and Rapunzel swung the frying pan again, towards the center of its face in a sort of chopping motion. 

CLANG!

The pan struck the cobblestones of the courtyard as the Shadow was defeated, and faded into mist. The fourth of the first quartet lunged at Rapunzel, it’s jagged talons outspread. The Princess of Corona reeled back with her frying pan like it was a bat, biting her lip and gauging her opportunity…then, once the Heartless was close enough, swung the pan about so hard, the fourth of these Shadows was sent flying backwards. Sora saw the Heartless careening towards him like a rocket, and thrust out his keyblade…

SCHWOOMPH!

A short sound of metal on something like flesh was interrupted as the minor Heartless collided neck-first with the Keyblade, and faded back into the darkness instantly.

With four of their number quickly beaten the remaining twenty Heartless had taken notice. Their attention had been drawn away from the door, and they now began to skitter across the ground in a spidery sort of way, rushing to surround and engulf their attackers. Sora and the Princess stood side by side as the Heartless formed a circle around them, scraping their claws against the ground the way a bull might scrape its hooves through the dirt before plunging its horns into the matador.

The pair lifted their weapons of choice threateningly – pan and blade alike – and smirke challengingly at the dark imps. Pascal smirked and lifted one scaly mitt in a beckoning, “Come and get it!” gesture.

“Bring it on!” both humans snapped.

That is exactly what the Heartless did, as all twenty – ten to each bipedal combatant –virtually pounced upon them. Sora swung his keyblade about his head three times fast; each strike met its mark, and three of the Shadows were banished to the darkness at once. This, of course, meant there were still seven more to deal with.

Two of the Shadows lunged at Sora, swiping at him with their claws. Sora backpedaled fast, and swiped back in retaliation with his keyblade. He missed, as the Heartless skipped out of the way…only for a third to leap at him, like a cat upon a mouse. The Heartless tackled Sora to the ground, but the keyblade wielder was quick to react, as he banged it over the head with the hilt of his weapon. The Heartless stumbled off of him, clutching its skull…and Sora thrust the point of the Kingdom Key through its midsection. The black imp twitched, fell limp, and then faded into vapor, all in the span of four seconds. 

The two from before clumsily tried to rush Sora, moving in their herky-jerky sort of way, but Sora managed to kick one aside, then stood and slashed the keyblade clean through the other. Before that one had even finished evaporating, and before its partner could get back up, Sora brought the keyblade down, plunging it into the ground, and that was the end of the second.

The keyblade master smirked as he faced the remaining four fiends, who fidgeted and twitched in their unhinged, alien way.

“That’s keyblade hero six, you guys zero,” he teased. “Who wants to go next?”

While Sora dealt with his ten, Rapunzel did not stand idle. The Princess whipped out her hair in two long, thick “ropes,” and lashed them about the waistlines of two of the Shadows. The Shadows rather cartoonishly glanced down at their bound waists, then at each other…and a split second later, Rapunzel leapt into the air, taking them with her. The Heartless flew into the air, went somersaulting through space, and then SLAMMED back down…right onto the pointed tops of a pair of flagpoles.

Rapunzel winced as they vanished into darkness.

“Yikes,” she murmured. “Don’t know my own strength sometimes-AH!”

She cried out in surprise as another one of the “Dark Creatures” swung its claws at her, and blocked the strike with her frying pan. She then swung the pan hard, smacking the beast once across the right side of the head, then allowed gravity to bring the pan back down and around, cracking it across the left. The Heartless klutzily fumbled back and flopped over, and lay still for precisely six and a half seconds before vanishing into mist.

Another Shadow came at the Princess, but this time, she wasn’t taken off guard. She gripped her hair tightly between her two hands, and used the unbreakable blonde stuff to parry away the talons of her attacker, which twitched and clutched its wrist, clearly startled by the strength of her hair. Rapunzel grinned and then held the hair in just one hand, before lashing it about the Heartless’ legs, and then flinging it behind her.

Once again, the Shadow flew straight into the path of Sora’s keyblade. Sora grinned and laughed as he spun back around and swiped at one of the four remaining Heartless on his side.

“Ha Ha! Nice moves!” he cheered.

“I told you!” Rapunzel sang out. “Unbreakable now!”

Pascal wasn’t going to let the humans have all the fun of course. He let out a chirping sound as two more Heartless came bounding towards Rapunzel. Rapunzel turned back around, and the chameleon jumped off her shoulder…and landed on the head of one of the Shadows. The small black beast spun around and around, flailing its arms comically as it tried to peel Pascal off, but the chameleon used his powers to blend in, seemingly invisible to the Heartless’ unblinking eyes, as he bit its antennae.

As for the second Heartless, it ran at Rapunzel, claws twitching eagerly, only for the Princess to once again whip her hair out. The golden locks bound the Heartless tightly, almost like a mummy. Rapunzel smirked and then tugged back hard, and the Heartless spun like a top towards the one Pascal was annoying.

The lizard reappeared just long enough to stick his long, sticky tongue directly in the Shadow’s golden eye. The creature slapped a clawed palm over the eye that had been struck as Pascal jumped off its head…and its partner collided with it. Both fiends thudded to the ground.

Sora, seeing the downed demons, first struck down one of the four remaining on his side with a fast and ferocious stab, then held his keyblade out before him.

“Fire,” he intoned, and a ball of flame suddenly shot out of the blade’s point like a bullet from a gun. The fire engulfed the two defeated Heartless instantly, and that was the end of them; they were mist before the frosty wind even put the fire out.

Pascal scrambled back up onto Rapunzel’s shoulder, and gave one of her fingers a high-five, while the Princess smiled proudly. Another Shadow started to sneak up on the two from behind…

CLANG!

One VERY hard swing from the frying pan, straight to the Shadow’s face, finished them off. Neither the princess nor the reptile even looked at them.

What had started as a sizeable gathering of two-dozen Heartless had been reduced to only six. Sora smirked; a group of Shadow Heartless this puny was no match at all. It was time to finish the battle.

“Stand back,” he said to Rapunzel, who quickly conceded. The teenaged warrior took a deep breath, inclining his head for a moment…then looked to the snow-smothered sky as he lifted the Kingdom Key high.

“THUNDER!” Sora thundered, and a ball of yellow-white light built up at the end of the Kingdom Key’s blade…and from the ball, six bolts of white-hot lightning flashed forth, and struck each of the remaining half-dozen Heartless. The twitching Shadows seemed to seize up as the electricity blasted them…then, one by one, vaporized.

And so the battle was won, and Sora exhaled deeply as he lowered the Kingdom Key…then grinned as he turned on his heel to face Rapunzel.

“Well!” he chirruped. “That wasn’t so bad, was it?”

His smile fell as he noticed the look on Rapunzel’s face, and watched as Pascal nervously tried to hide himself with his owner’s long hair.

“Uhhhh, yeah,” Rapunzel said, and chuckled nervously, pointing upwards and behind Sora. “But…it seems like those little creeps had friends in high places…”

Sora turned in confusion…and beheld a massive silhouette in the sky. The silhouette grew clearer and clearer as it came flying down meteorically…and then…

BOOM!

The stones of the courtyard cracked and some of the flowering bushes were crushed as the creature crashed down. The two humans yelped and nearly lost their balance, as Pascal whimpered, and all three looked up at the monster that had now arrived: the Bringer of the Storm. 

The beast somewhat resembled a bear…but far larger than any ursine the world had ever seen, being closer in size to an elephant. Its white fur was covered in black, streaking stripes, almost like that of a zebra, and its huge eyes were the yellow, unblinking eyes of a Heartless. Most bears have no tail, but this one had a long, fur-colored one, with spikes on the end like that of a stegosaurus. Two huge wings, like those of a bat, covered in a fine layer of black fur, with silver-white membranes, stretched from its broad back, and from the tip of the bear’s snout protruded a short, black-and-white-striped horn; the overall appearance of the huge abomination reminded one of some sort of bizarre hybrid of a polar bear and an ice dragon.

The beast roared, blue-white mist rushing from its jaws, snow carried on its icy breath…and Sora sighed, a weary sort of look on his face as he stared up at the giant Heartless.

“Oh, come on,” he muttered. “That is SO unfair.”  
As the Stormbringer made its entrance at Corona Castle, and while Flynn Rider and his crew rode to find King Frederic and Queen Arianna…a small, lonely figure tromped through the snow miles away, approaching the old castle of Old Corona.

Varian’s teeth chattered and he whimpered from the chill; his nose felt stuffed up, and he was almost certain he was catching a cold. He shivered as he brushed some of the flecks of icy crystals from his face; a sigh of relief became a wisping puff of pale gray mist as he finally got closer to home.

He’d finally made it. Made it to the Castle and then back again…with no help at all.

He normally would have felt proud of himself, but…under the circumstances, all that filled his heart was a sense of bitter anxiety. No thanks to the Princess or the Keybearer…

The young alchemist shook his head fast; he’d worry about them later. He had to help his dad. If no one else would do it, he had to work it out himself. Before it was too late.

“Dad!” Varian called out, nearly tripping on the frosted steps that led to his laboratory. He received no answer, but this didn’t bother him too much; the wind probably muffled his voice. He had to move quickly; who knew how far the Soranium had spread? If he wasn’t fast…

Varian gulped nervously, and after pausing to avoid being blown away by a gust of particularly strong wind, managed to open the door to his lab. He swung inside and quickly closed it behind himself, then locked it fast – DOUBLE-locked it, in fact - partially out of habit, and partially to keep as much of the cold out as possible.

“Dad, I’m back!” he called out, gasping as the warmth of the laboratory replaced the frozen atmosphere without. “Dad, th-the princess refused to help! B-But don’t worry, I…it’s gonna-!”

Varian turned…and even though the workshop was warm…he felt the blood freeze in his veins, as his heart began to sink into his stomach.

Quirin stood in the center of the laboratory, one arm held high, his face twisted in a strained expression, as if he had tried his hardest to escape, or keep something safe…the evidence of what that could be was clear when one noticed the piece of parchment in his hand.

But there was no way to tell what the parchment said. No way to ease his strain.

Quirin was completely encased – from head to foot – in a glistening coat of unbreakable Amber.

Varian remained still and silent for a moment…he wasn’t even aware of the moment when his voice, shaky and wet, broke the silence.

“…Dad…?”

Quirin didn’t answer. He didn’t move. It was impossible to tell if he was even alive inside his crystalline prison.

“…Oh, no…”

Varian sprinted towards the amber. He looked for a chink in the coating, a weakness to exploit; he found nothing.

“No, no…”

He banged his fist against the amber; it didn’t budge or show any strain. All he did was hurt his hand. His father still didn’t budge an inch, encased in the amber as if he were an insect.

“No! NO!” Varian almost screamed, and began to hyperventilate. He gasped twice, trying to keep his composure…but how could he? 

All he had to do was look up…up at the face of his father…turned away forever…scowling with frustration…unmoving. Unblinking.

Lifeless.

He slapped his palms against the amber, as if to try and touch that face…to try and wake his father up…but still, there was nothing. His dad was right here…right here in the same room…inches away…yet it was as if they were worlds apart. It was as if there was nothing there at all.

Nothing but a statue.

The tears fell.

“DAD! DADDY! NO!” the boy wailed, his voice cracking…then began to sob openly, shoulders shaking as his hands slid across the smooth, shining surface of the Soranium, steadily slumping to the floor. “No, no, no, no…no…!”

The alchemist continued to cry, for all the world like a lost child, a broken soul. He never even realized the moment when a small raccoon – its expression sad and scared – came quietly creeping out from under a table, nudged his cheek…and gently tried lapping away his tears.

All Varian could think of, even in that moment, were two words. They were words that seemed to grow louder and louder in his skull, till he covered his ears, trying to block them out. But there was no way to make the words stop; no way to quiet the voices in his own head. They seemed to be carried on the wind itself…through every crack and crevice in the now silent castle…through the abandoned village and its ruined houses…through the freezing fields, from the Castle where others fought side by side.

The boy curled up on the ground, his own tears flooding the floor beneath him, as these two words continued to repeat themselves, while the Amber shimmered over his head.

Alone. Failure. Alone. Failure. Alone. Failure.


	14. Book I, Chapter XIV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flynn Rider, Donald Duck, Goofy, and Maximus all get to work trying to save the King and Queen of Corona...

Book I: Serial Dilution

Chapter XIV: Royal Rescue

CRACK!

“Careful, darling.”

Queen Arianna smiled thinly at her husband as she placed some wood from the busted carriage wheels on the window that now lay at their feet. She shivered and hugged herself tight, then unsteadily took a match from her pocket, and lit the splinters of wood for the small fire they had prepared. Arianna had actually done most of the work.

She glanced to Frederic with concern.

“How’s your ankle, honey?”

The King, who was back against what was once the floorboard, glared at his own leg, propped against a cushion from what had been a seat, when right-side-up. He tried to shift it, then hissed.

“Just a sprain,” he insisted. “If it was broken, we’d be a lot worse off than we are now.”

Arianna decided not to comment on the fact it couldn’t really GET much worse – stranded in the mountains, with practically no provisions, in a precarious spot, and in the middle of a raging blizzard – and simply smiled a frail smile once more. Once the fire had started on the glass panel, she moved back against her husband’s side.

“My ankle is the least of our worries,” the King murmured, brow knitted pensively. “The Kingdom…Rapunzel…there’s so much more to do…and there’s so much I haven’t told her…”

The Queen placed a hand on her husband’s and scooted closer to him.

“She’ll be okay, Frederic. Rapunzel doesn’t need anybody to take care of her. Usually.”

“It’s the ‘usually’ that bothers me,” the King said, bluntly, scowl deepening, causing Arianna’s own smile to flicker away. “This snowstorm can’t be a coincidence, darling. After so many years without her…after so little time getting to know her…”

He went quiet.

Arianna paused…then moved her hand, placing it on her husband’s shoulder as her smile steadily returned. The King turned to look at her…and almost timidly smiled back, his bristly moustache twitching. 

“She’ll make a great Queen someday, Frederic.”

There was a pause…and the pair impulsively hugged one another…as a stray curl of cold air put out the blossoming fire.

“Happy Anniversary, Arianna.”

“Happy Anniversary, Fred-”

THOOM!

“-What in the world was that?!”

A Little Earlier…

Unbeknownst to the Royal Couple, even as they sat in the ruins of their coach, a familiar horse was marching up the spiraling slope of the mountain road. Maximus ground his teeth, straining against the wind, as his passengers all squinted through the swirls of snow around them to try and spot something.

“Not much farther, eh, Max?” Flynn Rider checked with chattering teeth.

The equine snorted in response.

“I sure hope Their Majesties are all right,” Goofy almost whispered, a nervous look in his large, dopey eyes.

“I just hope we don’t freeze helping them,” shuddered Donald Duck, feathers ruffling from the chill.

A few minutes passed in silence…then suddenly, the great steed came to an abrupt halt. The three hurriedly got off the horse, as he let out a sound of distress.

“What is it, Max?” Flynn inquired. “Are we…?”

He noticed the sad, almost scared look in the normally stalwart stallion’s eyes, and turned to see what he had noticed. His own expression matched Max’s as he rushed towards it.

“No…!”

Donald and Goofy looked to each other, shrugged, and then followed Flynn quickly. Their hearts sank with his as they found the road ahead had been blocked by a huge mound of fallen snow and ice, along with likely a good number of small stones.

“NO!” Flynn exclaimed in frustration, dropping to his knees and pounding a fist into the ground. The duck and the dog approached him carefully, once again looked to each other, and then patted the man on the back.

“It’s okay, Eugene,” Donald soothed.

“Yeah. There’s gotta be another way to get to ‘em!” Goofy reasoned, optimistically.

His optimism was rewarded, for a moment later, Max let out a neigh, calling out to them. The trio turned, and saw the horse looking off into the distance, over the side of the mountain road. The three hurried over, and looked in the same direction. Their eyes widened as, a distance away, and a little below them, they spotted the broken royal coach, lying on its side and partially buried in the snow.

“There they are! Good job, Max!” Eugene cheered.

The white horse smiled proudly.

“Well, gawrsh…how do we get down there?” Goofy mumbled, scratching the back of his head.

The ex-thief glanced about with narrowed eyes…then pointed. The others present followed the gesture of his mitten-clad hand, and spotted a thin ridge, less than two feet wide as it jutted from the side of the mountain. The ridge led to a clear spot not far above where the carriage had crashed.

“We’ll have to reach them that way,” Fitzherbert said.

“That tiny little thing?!” Donald nearly screeched. “You’d sooner find a horse on that ledge before you get ME to go out there!”  
“That is one determined horse,” sighed Donald, as Maximus led the way for the group. The four sidled across the ridge, moving with their backs against the mountain wall, steadily maneuvering towards the clearing in the rocks. Donald followed Max, with Flynn following him (“I’m right behind ya, Quackers…literally!”), and Goofy taking up the rear. 

Halfway across, Flynn gasped as a loose stone slipped under his foot. The group froze for a moment…and all breathed a sigh of relief as the former convict managed to regain his balance.

“Aw, man…I knew I should have stopped at four doughnuts this morning,” muttered Eugene, then lifted a fist and shook it at the sky dramatically. “CURSE YOU, CRULLERS, AND YOUR ALLURING DELECTABILITY!”

“Shhhhhh!” Donald and Goofy hushed, and pointed upwards indicatively.

Flynn snapped his mouth shut, and looked up…then gulped nervously. A huge snowbank loomed precariously over them all; too much noise, and the entire mound would come down.

“Ah…gotcha. Oh, man, I hate snow…”

The other three all rolled their eyes and continued on their way. Finally, they reached the end of the ledge, and hopped down onto the clearing. The wagon that held the royals was now a couple dozen feet below them and a little to their left.

“Okay,” Eugene said, taking a deep breath, and put his hands on his hips. “Loyal Sidekicks, the time has come to put ‘Operation Future In-Laws’ into action!”

And into action they went. First, the trio pulled out two thick cords of rope out of Max’s saddlebag. They wound the two ropes together part of the way, knotted them, and formed two separate ends. The team then tied the wound end of the rope somewhat loosely around the stallion’s saddle horn, while Donald and Goofy tied the two separated ends around their waists. 

“Max and I will hold onto things up here,” Eugene said, tightly gripping part of the rope that had sagged into the snow at their feet. “You two climb down and check on the King and Queen. We’ll figure out how to save them from there.”

The dog and the duck stiffened their postures and saluted, much in the way they often did when addressing their own king.

“Aye-aye, sir!” they chorused, and then loosened their stance as they hurried to the ledge, and then carefully began to make their way down the side. Flynn Rider held the rope firmly, and fed them more to allow them to move downward, while Maximus dug his hooves into the snow with a slight snarl, acting as an anchor.

Once again, halfway down the side of the cliff, there was a problem. Goofy – being Goofy – suddenly felt his foot slip on the icy cliff.

“WHOOOAAA!” Goofy yowled, and Flynn winced above them as the rope jerked. Max let out a short, shrill neigh – the equine equivalent to a yelp – but they managed to keep it set without sliding off or falling.

Goofy swung back and managed to regain his footing. He looked to Donald, and smiled loopily, giving a thumbs-up.

“A-hyuck! That was kinda close!” he chortled nervously.

Donald rolled his eyes.

“Just try not to be so loud,” he hissed. “You could bring the whole-”

A single snowflake perched on Donald’s bill. The duck blinked…his beak wiggled…he began to gasp…

“Ah…ahhhh…”

This time, it was Goofy who gulped nervously.

“Uh-oh.”

“AAA-CHOOOOOO!” 

The sneeze echoed everywhere, echoing like a thunderclap. The mountainside seemed to quiver…and then, down the side of the slopes rolled a great wave of white, thick snow.

Flynn watched as the snow fell past him, dumping down over the cliff side towards Donald and Goofy.

“…I really…REALLY hate snow,” he grumbled.

THOOM!

“WAAAAAAK!”

“YAH-HOO-HOO-HOOEY!”

On the snow-covered ledge below, the door to the broken carriage opened, and out clambered Queen Arianna. She saw a huge pile of snow – which hadn’t been there before – lying near the coach’s back wheels. The Queen waded over and brushed some of the snow away…then jumped slightly as Donald’s head popped out of the pile.

“Ptooey!” the white mallard spat, snow coming out of his bill as he shook his head fast, knocking it off of his beret. He then sighed. “Well, that could have gone better…”

“You!”

Donald looked up…and grinned cheerfully up at the Queen.

“Your Majesty!” he exclaimed. “We came to rescue you!”

“We?”

“Yes! Me, Max, Eugene…er…hey, where’s…?”

“Gawrsh! Who turned out the lights?!”

The pair turned and saw a pair of gangly legs kicking in the air. They glanced to each other, giggled, then Donald flapped free of the snow and held Arianna pull Goofy out and back onto his feet. As the Knight of Disney Castle straightened himself out, Arianna looked up as a familiar voice called down.

“Hey! Everyone okay down there?”

“I’m fine, Eugene!” the Queen called back. “But the King is hurt! We need to figure out how to get him up there to safety!”

“Don’t worry,” Eugene smiled down at the lady in blue, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way, and I have both!”  
It took time to get everything set, especially with the frigid conditions, but the team worked as fast as they could. First, Donald had climbed back up the cliff. The Queen followed, so Donald could help her onto the wide ledge above if needed. Goofy and Flynn stayed down where the royal wagon had fallen. The ropes were unbound and reconfigured, as Eugene Fitzherbert removed one of the more intact wagon wheels and tied a complex sort of “harness” around it. Goofy then helped hm get King Frederic out of the carriage, before climbing up the cliffside to join Maximus, Donald, and Arianna.

Finally, Frederic sat upon the wheel and gripped the ropes that kept it bound and set tight.

“Okay, Your Majesty; this should hold you,” smiled Eugene.

The King nodded, then looked up.

“Are you all ready?” he called.

“Ready!” Arianna, Donald, and Goofy all answered, holding onto the rope. Max, meanwhile, whinnied in the affirmative.

“Alright, steady now!” Flynn called.

Thus, slowly but surely, the Mage, the Knight, and the Queen all worked together to pull the King up to safety. All seemed to go well at first…but Flynn Rider was never one to let his guard down, and he looked worried. Things had gone wrong halfway through their tasks twice now. He had little doubt fate would play a hand to make the third time an absolute charm.

He was, of course, right. Halfway up, the already unpleasant wind kicked up a notch, snow stinging all cheeks like a flurry of white bees as it sprayed about. The pullers all winced and froze up for a second or two…and as they did, the wagon wheel bound by ropes suddenly swung hard. The ropes creaked horribly, and the wood crackled unsettlingly…

Eugene braced himself.

“Oh, no, oh, no, oh, no…!” he muttered, clenching his covered hands into woolly fists as he grit his teeth with worry. One of two things was about to happen, he knew it: either the wheel would break, or the ropes would. He bit his lip, hoping against hope he was wrong…

But, once again, he was, of course, right. 

SNAP!

“YAAAARRRRGH!”

“FREDERIC!”

The wheel, remarkably, remained intact…but the rope wasn’t so lucky. The harness like ties snapped on one side, and the King cried out as he toppled to one side, and fell back towards the ledge below. Eugene began to lunge forward to try and catch the man (hey, it always worked in the Flynnigan Rider stories), but he was a fraction of a second too late! The King rolled across the snow at his feet, then began to slide feet-first towards the edge of the cliff. Frederic clawed at the frozen earth, trying to stop or at least slow his descent, but nothing helped! Gravity grabbed hold of him, and the King began to howl as he fell over the edge-

WHAPP!

Two hands grabbed hold of his wrist. Flynn struggled and strained to try and pull the King back up.

“Your Majesty…hold on, Y-Your Majesty!” growled Eugene, gritting his teeth as he fought to pull Frederic up…but the King was a larger man than he had realized, and the dead weight began to drag him closer to the edge, as well, instead…

Donald and Goofy gasped, then nodded to each other firmly.

“Your Majesty,” Goofy said, “Hold onto this rope and don’t let go!”

“Yeah!” Donald quacked, as he and Goofy released the rope and hurried to the edge of the rocky clearing. “We need to get down and help!”

“Be careful,” Arianna said, nervously, and tightened her own grip quickly as the Court Wizard and Army Captain grabbed the rope and scrambled down it towards the ledge below…

Meanwhile, Eugene dug the points of his boots into the snow, grinding his teeth as his muscles seemed to groan like rusty gears. He stopped his own descent, but the king’s hand was starting to slip…

“Yeesh…guess you had a few too many doughnuts, too, huh?” he laughed nervously.

The King didn’t even smile. He glanced down, then back up at Eugene.

“Fitzherbert,” he said, softly, “If I don’t make it…please…protect Rapunzel…”

“You’ll be fine!” Flynn insisted, once again trying to tug the man up. “And you should know by now: Rapunzel…doesn’t need…protecting…!”

Each phrase was accompanied by Flynn trying to pull Frederic up higher…but with every pull, it only seemed the king slipped away further! Finally, the former robber’s muscles gave out, and Frederic started to cry out once more his hand slipped free, and gravity snatched at him with its cruel claws…

WHAPP-WHAPP!

A feathered hand and another bound by winter gloves grabbed onto the King’s arms. 

Flynn Rider gasped, grinning with relief as Donald and Goofy managed to get hold of the King. He shook his hand, then slapped it back down on Frederic’s back, and the three began to pull the royal liege up again.

“Almost…gotcha…!” Goofy grunted, while Donald growled in his own “ducky” way…

They pulled and pulled and PULLED…till FINALLY, with one last great effort, the trio hauled King Frederic back up and sat him against the cart, safe and sound. 

Queen Arianna, who had been watching with interest, sighed with relief. Max, who had been watching the Queen’s expression – since he couldn’t see what was going on down there from his spot - smiled with some relief of his own.

“Thank you,” sighed Frederic with a tired sort of smile. “I’m grateful to you all.”

“A-hyuck! Gawrsh, it was nothin’!” Goofy blushed.

“What’re heroes for?” Donald grinned, puffing out his chest proudly.

The King smirked at the pair, then looked to Eugene seriously.

“Rapunzel,” he urged. “Flynn, what’s happening back in the Kingdom? My daughter…is she safe?”

“Let’s focus on getting you out of here,” Flynn suggested. “Then we can talk about Blondie. Sidekicks? See if there’s another rope in the carriage. We need to secure that wheel better…"


	15. Book I, Chapter XV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The storm finally reaches its full potential.

Book I: Serial Dilution

Chapter XV: Stormbringer

Sora and Rapunzel (and Pascal) moved into battle-ready positions as they stared up at the elephant sized beast – the Stormbringer – that had appeared before them. The bizarre amalgamation of a polar bear and a frost dragon – the size of an elephant, and with stripes like a zebra – bared its huge fangs. Its lamp-like yellow eyes glared down at the pair, seemingly piercing into their very souls.

“I don’t think even my finest frying pan can topple this thing,” Rapunzel gulped, fingers fiddling with her kitchen utensil and secret weapon of mass destruction in question. Pascal gulped as well and nodded in agreement on her shoulder.

“We’ll find a way,” Sora said, confident and encouraging, as he gripped his keyblade more tightly.

There was no time for anything else even vaguely resembling a pep talk, for at that moment, the Stormbringer let out a bestial roar, and then swung itself around. Its spiked tail lashed out, sweeping over the snow covered courtyard towards the pair. 

Rapunzel dove to one side, while Sora jumped away in the opposite direction. The Keeper of the Kingdom Key twirled his weapon, and then thrust it out. 

“Fire!” he shouted, and launched a fireball at the massive Heartless, much in the way he had dealt with some of the Shadows from earlier.

The blast of flame struck the Stormbringer in the shoulder. The “fur” was scorched, and Sora saw a puddle of water gather at the alien beast’s paw on the same side; it was as if the creature, itself, was carved out of ice and snow.

With a cry of fury, the Stormbringer lifted one of its mighty paws, and swung it down towards Sora. The teenaged battler ducked, dodged to the side, and then charged forward, slashing at the demon’s other foreleg.

This was perhaps the wrong attack to make, as the Stormbringer snarled and then lifted that leg, fast and hard. The impact sent Sora flying; he yowled as he was thrown back a good couple of yards, before hitting the ground and rolling through the snow.

The Stormbringer grunted, seemingly pleased, and as Sora began to get back to his feet, the monster reared back its head. A low rumble was heard in its chest…before it opened its jaws and expelled a blast of blue-white mist, peppered with snowflakes, in the boy’s direction. Sora’s unkempt brown hair was blown back and about his face as he suddenly felt the cold – already so great – pierce his very bones. He groaned and growled, grinding his teeth till they almost felt numb, eyes prickling with tears that froze on his cheeks. A crackling was heard as his feet began to freeze, blocks of ice surrounding them and beginning to spider-web up his legs…

The Stormbringer growled, sounding almost pleased as it watched its victim start to freeze…before…

SPLUTT!

The Heartless abomination stopped, and let out a growl of confused aggravation…after something small and sticky suddenly slapped into its ear. It was, of course, Pascal’s long tongue, and as the gigantic paw of the beast came swiping upward to try and crush the tiny reptile, the little lizard leapt away and landed safely in the palms of Rapunzel.

The Princess of Corona kissed her little pet on the head, then placed him back on her shoulder, as the monster spread its wings threateningly, lashing its tail in a warning sort of way.

“Hey, big guy!” Rapunzel yelled, as she braided her hair into a lasso. “You’re messing with the wrong Princess!”

The Stormbringer roared; cold fluid spilled from its maw, and as it spattered on the ground, froze instantly into thin sheets of ice. It bounded forward like a rampaging grizzly, mouth wide open as it ran towards Rapunzel.

The blonde-haired Princess smirked, and tossed the “rope” formed from her hair…lashing it about the Stormbringer’s neck as she dodged to the right, those huge jaws snapping shut inches away from where she’d been. She then swung herself up onto the Heartless atrocity’s shoulders, riding it as easily as one rode a horse.

The dragonbear clearly did NOT take kindly to this sort of treatment, as it shook itself violently to try and knock Rapunzel off. The Princess just whooped and hollered, pumping her fist in the air tauntingly.

“Yee-haw!” Rapunzel laughed. “Come on, big guy! Is that all you’ve got?!”

The beast growled over its shoulder at her and responded by unfurling its great wings.

Rapunzel’s smile fell. Pascal looked up at her, raising an eyebrow and sighing as if to say, You just HAD to ask, didn’t you?

A second later, the beast flapped its wings powerfully, and flew into the air. Rapunzel held on tight to the lasso, as the creature rose higher and higher into the sky. It ascended towards the castle towers, and then began to fly figure-eights around two of them, rocking and pitching to try and send Rapunzel hurtling to the ground below. 

Sora watched the strange sight for a moment or two…then shook himself out of his stunned state, and used a fire spell to melt the ice that had frozen his feet. He shook away the pins-and-needles feeling in his lower legs, and then began to race towards the palace, in a somewhat ungainly manner.

“Rapunzel!” he shouted up, waving one hand. “Try to guide it towards me!”

Rapunzel gave Sora a thumbs-up (so did Pascal), and then tugged HARD on the “reins” around the monster’s neck. The Stormbringer let out a slightly strangled sound, and then whirled back around, its ascent dipping slightly. Sora lifted his keyblade.

“Try to keep him there!” he yelled, aiming the weapon like a rifle. “And when I say jump…jump!”

“Got it!”

“Three…two…one…JUMP!”

Rapunzel unwound the lasso and dropped from the Stormbringer’s back. At almost the exact same moment, Sora fired three balls of flame at the beast, aiming for its face, its stomach, and its hip. The Stormbringer cried out and fell out of the sky, landing on its back in a corner of the courtyard. The whole castle seemed to shake.

The Princess silently shut her eyes as she fell…and her already glistening hair began to glow with a shine like the Sun itself. It wound itself around her in a ball, like a living thing…and as she hit the ground she safely bounced and rolled inside it, before coming to a stop near Sora. The ball then unraveled, and Rapunzel and Pascal, in the center of it, wiped their brows and sighed with relief.

“You know, if I didn’t have brand-new unbreakable hair…” she started to say.

“I knew you’d find a way out of it,” Sora smiled.

The pair were interrupted by a deep growl. The Stormbringer rolled back onto its feet and shook itself. The pair once again adopted action-ready stances as it looked toward them…

…And this time, its eyes zeroed in on Rapunzel. The Princess’ hair was still glowing brightly.

The Stormbringer ROARED, louder than ever before, and its eyes changed from yellow to a glowing shade of cobalt blue. Cerulean beams blasted from its eyes. Rapunzel nimbly sidestepped the attack…and gaped as the beams struck a statue of her father, standing in the courtyard…which turned into snow and disintegrated into a thousand flakes before her very eyes.

Sora blinked.

“…Okay…that would be kind of cool, if it wasn’t…terrifying,” he muttered, and turned towards the beast, expecting it to round on him.

It didn’t. For some reason or another, the Stormbringer had suddenly become fixated on Rapunzel, whose hair continued to glow. She ran out of the way, as it began to fire beams of blue light again and again. Everything the beams touched turned into loose flakes of snow, puffing up into a white cloud before settling again.

“It’s your hair!” Sora realized. “RAPUNZEL, SWITCH OFF THE LIGHTS!”

“That’s the problem!” Rapunzel called back, diving behind a wall against the steps leading up to the palace as another beam soared over her head and turned a flower pot and its petaled delights into snowy powder. “I don’t know how! It’s like it has a mind of its own some-YAGH!”

The shrill cry was the result of the dark creature suddenly SLAMMING a paw into the stairs over Rapunzel’s head, its huge claws nearly catching her. 

Rapunzel jumped out of hiding, and the beast growled as it approached her. She once again whipped out her frying pan, and tried to smack the monster across the snout.

WHAM!

The beast didn’t even flinch. It lifted a claw, and flicked the pan out of her grip as easily as one might flick away a speck of dust. Rapunzel yelped as the creature drew closer. It began to inhale deeply, preparing to attack with a blast of freezing mist…

Sora knew he had to act fast. He held the Kingdom Key aloft and sprinted forwards, leaping into the air as he got close enough. He flew at the dragon-bear hybrid and swung his keyblade in a wide arc as he drew closer…

…And hacked off one of its great wings.

The wing fell to the ground and melted, instantly, into a puddle of water. The beast rounded on Sora, eyes beginning to change color…

Now, Rapunzel thought fast, and lashed out with her still-glowing hair, once again forming a lasso and wrapping it around the other wing…

Then something happened that neither the Princess nor the Keyblade Bearer had anticipated: just as when Sora had struck with his weapon, the wing that Rapunzel’s long hair wrapped about suddenly melted off! The Stormbringer let out a high-pitched howl of pain and backed away from the pair. It swung its spiked tail at Rapunzel, who ducked and ran to Sora’s side, as the beast glared at them both.

The two humans looked at the wounded creature, then to Rapunzel’s flowing hair, then at each other.

“The Light!” they both gasped in unison.

But the Stormbringer didn’t give them much time to reflect on the revelation. It roared, shielding its eyes with one paw. It lifted its other paw and slammed it down again, creating a shockwave that knocked both off their feet. As they dropped to the ground, Pascal suddenly tumbled off of Rapunzel’s shoulder. 

The Princess’ hair flickered and stopped glowing as she groaned, stunned and dazed.

The little lizard moaned and shook his head to clear it…then squeaked with alarm as he saw the Stormbringer charging towards his human friends. The chameleon quickly blended in with the grass and bounded forward as fast as his little legs could carry him. As the monster drew close, it reared up, ready to mash both of its enemies into the ground with its giant paws…

…Only to then be blinded as a certain lizard attacked one of its eyes. The Stormbringer bellowed with rage, and managed to grab Pascal in one paw. Its eyes began to glow as it prepared to turn the tiny reptile into nothing but a pile of white powder…

“No! Pascal!” Sora cried out, scrambling to his feet and readying his keyblade.

Rapunzel stared in shock, jaw dropping as time seemed to slow down for her. She didn’t hear Sora, or notice his movements. She saw only Pascal…Pascal, her pet and closest friend. The one creature that had been there for her almost her entire life. The one creature she could trust without ever doubting that. The one creature that stuck by her even when others didn’t. 

About to be destroyed.

And as the flood of emotions this revelation caused filled her heart… that’s when it happened.

CRACK-CRACK-CRACK-CRACK-CRACK!

Sora stopped in place, jumping back, as a line of sharpened black rocks suddenly jutted out of the ground, moving in a wave like formation towards the Stormbringer. The giant Heartless stopped, and looked…

…And both it and Sora froze, as they saw Rapunzel’s hair had unfurled, seemingly of its own accord, glowing once more. It was brighter than ever, the flowing locks forming huge, snake-like tendrils.

A moment after spotting this oddity…

THRACK!

The Stormbringer let out a bloodcurdling cry and dropped Pascal, who landed – dazed but unhurt – in a bit of snow. The black rock that pierced the Stormbringer’s body sank into the ground with all the rest as easily as it had appeared…and the instant it did, the giant heartless seemed to melt into a puddle of dark fluid…which then evaporated into violet-colored mist.

Rapunzel’s hair instantly flopped down to the Earth again with a faint thudding sound, and the Princess moaned, clutching her forehead as she suddenly grew dizzy. Shocked, Sora and Pascal both darted over to her, the teenager allowing the keyblade to vanish in a flash of light as he helped the fainted princess sit back up. Pascal hopped onto her chest and pawed at her with a slight whimper, almost in a puppyish way.

“Are you okay?” he asked softly.

“Y-Yeah…I think so,” Rapunzel admitted. “But…what just…?”

“Don’t ask me,” Sora answered with a shake of his head…then both looked around as, suddenly, the sky grew slightly brighter. The storm clouds that had been lingering all began to dissipate, as if they had never been there at all. The snowfall very rapidly slowed…and then stopped altogether, as the screeching wind changed to a gentle breeze. 

Now…they could clearly see that night had fallen. The moon’s silver spotlight shone down unimpeded, and the stars were bright as diamonds.

With no Bringer of Storms…there was no storm to be had.

“…Wow. THAT was interesting.”

The three in the center of the courtyard turned…to see Maximus standing there, while Flynn Rider (the one who had spoken), Queen Arianna, Donald Duck, and Goofy all at his side. King Frederic was mounted somewhat unsteadily on Max’s back. His jaw gaped as he stared first at his daughter, then at the battered courtyard around them…then back to his daughter once more.

Rapunzel blinked…then smiled nervously and waved.

“Uhhhh…hi, Dad! Mom! Ah…h-how much of that did you see?”

“Gawrsh! Since when could yer hair do all THAT?!” exclaimed Goofy.

“…Well, that gives us a hint,” Rapunzel said, the smile far more forced.

King Frederic’s bushy eyebrows shadowed his eyes as he looked at Rapunzel. For a while, he was silent…then he looked up at Sora.

“Thank you,” he said, but the words didn’t meet his eyes. “For helping my daughter.”

“Ah…d-don’t mention it?” Sora answered, not sure how to react to the tone the King took.

Frederic nodded, then opened his mouth. He looked like he wanted to say more…but then winced as he moved the wrong way, and his ankle stung.

“Sweetheart,” Arianna said, “Whatever you have to say…it should wait till morning. After a night like this, we ALL need rest.”

“You said it,” mumbled Donald Duck, exhaustedly.

The King glanced at both, then looked back to Rapunzel and Sora.

“Very well. But I think we’ll need to have a…talk tomorrow,” he said dangerously.

“…If, um…if it’s about the courtyard…”

Frederic’s expression silenced Sora’s thought before he could continue it.

“No,” said the King, darkly. “It’s not about the courtyard.”

Rapunzel and the Keybearer looked at each other worriedly.

They’d won this battle…but it seemed the storm hadn’t truly passed yet.

Look for a shadow in the kingdom of the Sun…if those Shadows weren’t what Master Yen Sid meant…what else is coming?  
In the castle at Old Corona, Ruddiger stood near a bench in the workshop. He had given up on trying to get through to Varian physically, but he couldn’t bear to leave the room. So he sat…and watched, chittering once or twice – just to see if his human would react – but Varian had evidently tuned him out completely.

The young alchemist knelt on the floor. His face was covered in tear stains after weeping, longer and louder, than any human Ruddiger had seen, Varian himself included. The raccoon seriously had not known just how many tears a two-legger could hold till now…but by now, the teenaged scientist had stopped crying ages ago. That was perhaps what worried Ruddiger the most. When Varian was sad, he could comfort his human, or at least try…but what he could do when those baby blue eyes were filled with…nothing? Just a hollow, empty, vacant look, something the raccoon had never really experienced before, from his boy or any other humans he knew.

Varian knelt there, totally still and silent, for what felt like hours. He barely seemed to breathe. He blinked only three times – Ruddiger counted. The animal was just beginning to wonder if he should try moving closer to once again console his favorite boy…perhaps encourage him to eat something – a thought that may or may not have been suggested by the coon’s own rumbling, pudgy belly – just to try and get his spirits up…

…When finally the young alchemist spoke. His voice was hoarse after crying for so long, and then being supremely quiet so long after that. It was a broken voice; a voice that drove a dagger into the raccoon’s worried heart with each syllable.

“Don’t worry, Dad,” Varian whispered into the cold, quiet darkness of his lab. “I will get to the bottom of this.”

The alchemist bit his lip and gulped back a fresh sob.

“I promise,” he said, and when he regained some composure, slowly dared to look up at his parent, naturally still trapped inside the amber-colored crystals. “I will find the answers. I will set you free. I…I’ll make you proud of me.”

There was a pause…and then, Varian slowly got to his feet. He marched over to his trapped father, and placed his gloved hands on the crystal surface that contained the man. Ruddiger watched closely, the daggers changing into icicles, a chill going over his spine as Varian’s expression and voice hardened…

“And I swear, here and now…no matter what comes of me…ANYBODY who stands, or has stood, in my path? THEY’RE GOING TO PAY!”

Ruddiger yelped and ducked under the bench in fright as the final words echoed through the rafters. His heartbeat quickened with horror, and he whimpered softly, backing away a bit further as Varian – at the same time – began to back away from his father’s trapped form. A single ray of moonlight fell over the boy. He kept his head low, but from his position, Ruddiger could still see his expression. There was a bitterness, a roughness, to that freckled face…he suddenly seemed to have aged a full ten years…

The boy’s fists clenched and he twitched slightly. His eyes slowly opened as he hissed three final words through his teeth. Ruddiger’s own eyes widened and he felt his own bushy tail slip between his legs as he whimpered once more.

These were not the soft, bright, kind, excited, baby blue eyes of his beloved Master.

They were the eyes of something far colder. Far darker.

Far…FAR more dangerous.

“They. Will. Pay.”


	16. Book I, Chapter XVI

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the aftermath of the Stormbringer's attack, King Frederic decides to take some drastic and perhaps ill-advised action...and he is not the only one...

Book I: Serial Dilution

Chapter XVI: The King’s Orders

Morning came, and King Frederic sat upon his throne, with Queen Arianna at his side. A golden cane was at his other side as he stared sternly at the group assembled before him in the audience chamber. Sora, Donald, and Goofy all knelt respectfully to the ruler of Corona, while Eugene and Rapunzel stood.

“So,” the King said at length, “Let me see if I understand clearly. This creature took one look at the light from Rapunzel’s hair, and focused its attack on her immediately?”

“Yeah, that’s right,” Sora answered, then, when Frederic narrowed his eyes, amended his response: “Er…I mean…yes, Your Majesty. The Heart-ah, the Dark Creatures couldn’t touch her hair, either. It’s as if her light was too much for them, but they were trying to-”

“Extinguish it,” the King finished in an ominous tone of voice.

Sora blinked…then lifted his head and slowly nodded.

“Y-Yeah…that’s…that’s about right.”

Frederic’s frown deepened.

“Dad, I don’t know what these things want from us – from me – but we can’t allow them to keep moving. We have to do something to-”

“We,” the King suddenly intoned, with great authority, using his cane to stand; he winced as his ankle stung, then tried again.

“We…don’t need to do anything. The situation can be handled by myself and the guards.”

Stan and Pete were standing nearby; at the King’s words, they eyed each other doubtfully.

“With all due respect, Your Majesty,” Sora spoke up, “I’m not sure if that’s true. They’ve already done a lot of damage in Old Corona, and if the Heart-ngh…if the Dark Creatures are already growing this strong, and are this determined to get into the castle…”

“Your concern is appreciated,” Frederic glared, “But with all due respect to YOU, young warrior, I’m not sure even you fully realize what’s happening.”

“You’re right,” Sora responded, somewhat tersely. “I don’t. But I’d like to figure it out.”

There was a pause. Then the King looked to Rapunzel.

“Rapunzel,” he began, and his voice grew heavy and heartsick. “Your safety is more important to me than anything else. You know that, don’t you?”

The Princess of Corona blinked, then looked up at Flynn, who shrugged as if to say, Don’t look at me, he’s YOUR dad.

“Ah…yes, I do, but…?”

“These creatures are in some way connected to you. They’re targeting you, for one reason or another, and the situation is growing more desperate. I cannot afford to risk your safety in another fight with those monsters.”

Sora looked to Donald and Goofy, who both looked back with matching expressions of worry.

“I’ve got a bad feeling about what he’s going to say next,” Sora whispered.

“Therefore,” the King went on, and took a breath before continuing: “As much as it pains me to order this…in light of this vicious assault, I see no other choice: until the threat of these Dark Creatures has been neutralized, you are to remain under constant surveillance, locked in the most secure room of the Castle.”

“WHAT?!” all five of the heroes exclaimed, the three Champions of Light jumping to their feet.

Frederic snapped his fingers and nodded to Stan and Pete. The guards looked at each other, shrugged sadly, and then marched towards Rapunzel. Flynn Rider tried to block their path, but Stan pushed him aside.

“Stand aside, Fitzherbert,” he growled, uncharacteristically serious.

“So sorry, Princess,” Pete whispered, somewhat shakily, as he and his fellow guardsman took hold of Rapunzel’s shoulders and began to lead her out of the throne room.

“No! W-Wait! Dad! DAD, DON’T!” Rapunzel shouted.

“Rapunzel!” Sora gasped, as she was hauled out of the room, still struggling to break away.

“See to it she’s cared for!” Frederic called after the guards.

“Oh, those are FINE words to choose,” growled Flynn, rounding on the King in an instant. 

“You can’t do this to her!” Sora snapped.

“Frederic,” Arianna spoke up, catching the attention of all, an expression of deepest doubt on her face; she seemed stunned by what had occurred. “Call them back; we should-”

“Arianna,” the King snapped, interrupting her…then, at the look his wife gave him, softened his tone. “Darling…I…I need to speak with…”

He gestured towards the four at the foot of the throne.

“…Privately. Please…will you see to Rapunzel?”

The Queen’s green eyes bore into the King’s for several long, agonizing seconds…then, without a word, she stood…and coldly turned her shoulder to him as she left the throne room through the side entrance.

The King sighed…then his own gaze hardened as he looked back to the group.

“I will not change my mind,” he said, in a warning sort of tone.

“How is what you’re doing to Rapunzel now,” Flynn sneered, “Any different from what was done to her the first eighteen years of her life?!”

“Remember yourself, Fitzherbert,” the King growled back…then, once again, caught himself and took a breath. “I’m sorry…Eugene…son…forgive me, but no matter how this situation may appear, BELIEVE me, I have no choice!”

“Wha…?! OF COURSE YOU HAVE A CHOICE!” Flynn almost screamed. “YOU’RE THE KING!”

“EXACTLY!” Frederic bellowed. “And as King, I will do anything – EVERYTHING – within my power to keep Rapunzel safe from harm!”

Flynn stepped back, shocked by the sudden volume of the King’s voice…then his eyes narrowed and his fists clenched.

“So will I,” was all he said, his voice very nearly a snarl, before he turned on his heel and stomped out of the throne room.

Sora watched him go, then looked back to Frederic, blue eyes cold as ice.

“You cannot keep her up there,” he said. “This is wrong, and you know it!”

“This is not your family, boy, nor your kingdom,” Frederic responded. The words were not cutting or coarse, but almost…apologetic. Soothing and yet firm. “What I can and cannot do – as a monarch or as a father – none of your business to decide.”

Sora opened his mouth to try and snap back some witty retort…but a hand on his shoulder made him stop. He blinked, and looked up at Goofy’s sorrowful, drooping expression.

“He’s right, Sora,” the clumsy canine said, quietly. “We have our own job to do.”

“We’ve meddled a lot already,” Donald added at his other side, a wry sort of smile on his bill. “Too much more, and…”

Sora nodded; he didn’t need to be reminded of the consequences. He hung his head quietly, glaring at the floor as he clenched his fists silently.

“We’ll find a way to help her,” Goofy whispered.

“Don’t worry,” Donald put in.

“What else can I do?” Sora hissed.

Both took a step away from him, but said nothing.

Sora looked back up at the King, and took a breath before speaking.

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty,” he said, though he didn’t sound sorry at all, “I don’t approve of, nor agree with, your decision…but if it is your final word, I won’t argue here.”

The King nodded, without a word.

The two stared at each other calculatingly for a moment.

“…Can my friends and I have permission to stay here till our mission is completed?” Sora asked, carefully, suddenly contrite.

“How long will it take?” the King asked, patiently.

“Give us a few days,” Sora responded. “A week at the most.”

“Three days, then?”

“That’ll work,” Donald and Goofy chorused.

“Granted,” the King nodded, tapping the golden staff on the floor in emphasis. “And…I hope you’ll realize that-”

“Yes. I do,” Sora said, curtly.

Without a word, all three now turned their backs on him and stepped out of the throne room.

The moment the room was empty…King Frederic stepped back, sat heavily in his throne…and buried his face in his hands.

“…What have I done now…?”  
A short time later, Rapunzel stared out the window of her room; the window bars made it feel more like a prison than ever. She could hear Stan and Pete shuffling their feet and muttering to each other just beyond the doors, but she couldn’t understand what they were saying. She had tried pulling at the door, but of course, it had been locked.

“We have our orders, Princess,” Stan had called through the keyhole. “It’s nothing personal.”

That really didn’t make the blonde-haired young lady feel any better. 

She placed a hand on the bars upon her window and gave them a slight tug, experimentally. Naturally, nothing happened. She shrugged dismally; she hadn’t expected anything else.

A cheeping sort of sound nearby caught the Princess’ attention. She looked down and smiled gently as she saw Pascal gently paw at her dress. She picked the little lizard up in her palms and cupped him against her cheek, then gave her pet a small peck on the forehead.

“It’s okay, buddy,” she said softly. “I’m okay.”

Pascal gave her an uncertain, skeptical smile in return.

There was a knock at the door. Rapunzel placed her chameleon friend on her shoulder and looked towards the door. Her expression was curious and hopeful: with the guards standing ready, she hadn’t expected visitors of any sort…let alone ones polite enough to knock.

“Yes?” she called.

The door opened…and Rapunzel’s eyes widened as she rose from the window seat and dashed over, embracing the green-eyed woman who had come into her chambers.

“Mom…!”

“I’m so sorry…”

“What is Dad so afraid of?” Rapunzel asked, nearly on the verge of tears. “Why is he doing this to me?”

Arianna smiled sympathetically, and lifted a hand, placing it against her daughter’s cheek.

“Rapunzel…in the near-two-decades you were gone, not ONCE did your father sleep through a full night. I was there each moment of it. Your disappearance haunted him every minute of every day.”

“Are you saying that makes this right?” the Princess barely breathed.

Arianna paused…then quietly stepped away from her daughter, putting her hands behind her back as she dipped her head thoughtfully.

“All I’m saying,” she explained, slowly, “Is that no matter how drastic or sudden his actions may seem, or how much you disagree with them…they come from a place of love and caring. If he felt he could make another choice, he’d do it in a heartbeat.”

There was a pause…then Arianna shook her head.

“But no. This isn’t right. And I think he knows that just as well as we do.”

She turned and smiled to her daughter, and approached carefully, taking Rapunzel’s hands in her own.

“I’ll try to talk him out of it,” the Queen promised, “But you know how he is. I can’t promise anything…but I’m on your side. Trust me there.”

Rapunzel hugged her mother once more.

“Right now, that’s all I need to hear,” the Princess said in a tear-stained voice.

The Queen gave her daughter a gentle squeeze, and paused before speaking.

“Your friends will be staying another three days; I couldn’t help but eavesdrop a bit,” she smirked. 

Rapunzel giggled, and nodded.

“Thank you for telling me.”

“If I can convince him to let them see you, I will,” Arianna said, and ran a hand through her daughter’s flowing golden hair. “Whatever happens…I’ll be here for you.”

“I love you, Mom.”

“I love you, too, sweetheart.”

So saying, the Queen kissed her daughter on the cheek, and then quietly left the chamber. As Arianna left the room, Rapunzel’s face set into a deep frown. She glanced back towards the window.

“Three days,” she murmured. “And today is still young.”

Pascal tilted his head as Rapunzel plucked him off her shoulder and placed him on her bed. She then hurried to her nightstand, and pulled out a pad of paper and some writing utensils.

“Whatever his reasons, he should have known better than to imprison ME in a tower,” Rapunzel hissed, and smirked to her friend. “We’re getting out of here, Pascal. I just need time to come up with a plan.”  
Three Days Later…

Sora, Donald, and Goofy walked through the Castle Courtyard. The dog and the duck led the way, as the teenaged boy kept his hands in his pockets, head dipped low and posture glum.

“Awww, chin up, Sora!” Goofy urged.

“Yeah! We gotta have smiles, remember?” Donald quacked, nudging their friend.

Sora gave them the very barest of thin, tight smiles, but it was gone in a flash.

The two anthropomorphic animals glanced somewhat nervously to each other.

“We shouldn’t be leaving,” Sora said at length. “We should stay here where Rapunzel-”

“There’s not much we can do for her here,” Donald shrugged. “And our three days are up.”

“Nothin’ has gone wrong since,” Goofy added. “The Heartless must have moved on. That attack must’ve been what Yen Sid meant.”

Sora shook his head.

“It feels too simple; too obvious,” was all he said.

“Anyway, we need to check on the Gummi Ship,” Donald insisted. “Routine, after all.”

Sora nodded…then looked up with a spark of hope.

“Do you think…since we’re heading into the forest…we can check on Varian?”

The boy’s friends paused.

“Gawrsh…I don’t see why not,” Goofy mumbled.

“Why now?” Donald asked.

“Because it’s been days since he came running into the castle during the snowstorm,” Sora said seriously. “Has anybody even gone to see what was wrong with him? Rapunzel can’t. Flynn hasn’t said anything. Don’t even get me started on the King. And we’ve been so busy…”

Donald and Goofy looked to each other.

“I hadn’t thought of that,” Donald murmured.

“Yer right, Sora,” Goofy nodded, droopy ears flapping. “We should see if he needs-”

THAPP!

“Ack!” Sora exclaimed, interrupting Goofy, as something pointy but delicate jabbed into the back of his head. The object fluttered to the ground, revealing itself to be a paper airplane.

The three looked down at it, Sora scratching the back of his head carefully. The teenager picked it up, unfolded it…and gaped.

“What is it?” Donald asked.

“Who’s it from?” Goofy put in.

A smile slowly spread over Sora’s face, and he looked up.

“It’s from Rapunzel,” he grinned. “She has a plan. We need to find Flynn! Hurry, see if he’s inside, I’ll check the stables to see if he’s with Maximus!”

The dog and duck duo immediately jumped into action, and darted back towards the castle. Sora pocketed the paper, and glanced towards the palace gates. A worried look briefly crossed his face, as he seem to gaze beyond them.

“I’m sorry, Varian,” he whispered to himself, “But it seems you have to wait a little longer. I’ll see you again soon…I made a promise. And I’m going to try and keep it.”

With these words, the keybearer hurried towards the stable yards.  
\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
The laboratory had seen better days. In three days time, spider-webs had begun to gather in the corners, and dust had begun to accumulate on the many surfaces. Only spots of the three tables seemed clean; a sign of someone who had been frantically working…but neglecting to sweep up or keep things tidy. Just struggling to get his work done.

A pair of scissors had been stabbed into the surface of the drafting table. A sketch of Rapunzel herself was held in place by one, and a familiar scroll, covered in scribbles, was being pinned by the other. At the chemistry set, the Alchemist worked; the already thin and slight figure of the boy in the apron and goggles seemed a little bonier than usual. 

In three days, he had barely eaten a thing, and it showed.

It was easy to ignore the growling in his stomach, for Varian; all the lad had to do was dare to peek at the large tarp that covered the massive obstruction stationed front-and-center of his workshop, and the cause of his frenzied working became clear. 

Varian brushed away his blue-striped bangs with a trembling hand. He muttered incessantly, speaking to himself in a voice that barely audible, let alone comprehensible, his thoughts spilling from his lips and past his large, sharp front teeth as he continually mixed scientific observations with sneering, hissing curses.

Ruddiger sat on a stool behind him, watching the boy work. The coon was silent and very scared; he’d never seen Varian this way before. The teen could get passionate about his work, true…but this wasn’t his normal self at all. 

This wasn’t passion. It was obsession. It was fury.

Finally, Varian stood…and did something that made the raccoon’s blood run cold: he laughed. But it wasn’t his usual, nervous, twittering giggle. It was a low, throaty, hoarse chuckle…a sound that was far too pleased with itself, and for all the wrong reasons.

Varian stepped back from the table, and pushed his goggled out of his eyes with one gloved hand; his baby blue eyes were baggy and seemed to glitter dangerously, like shards of broken blue glass. 

“There,” he murmured. “That oughta do the trick. Now…what will I…?”

Varian trailed off and glanced around…and his eyes landed on Ruddiger. The raccoon flinched at the look in those eyes.

The moment he did that…the eyes softened, and so did the boy’s smile.

“Hey…buddy…you okay?” Varian asked quietly, seemingly truly concerned.

Ruddiger smiled nervously and chittered softly, tail between his legs. A hurt sort of look came over Varian’s face.

“You’re…are you scared of me?” Varian pressed.

Ruddiger bit his lip…and nodded.

The hurt look became more intense, the watery look in those weary eyes nearly breaking poor Ruddiger’s heart. 

“But…why? I’d never do anything to hurt you, buddy,” Varian promised. “C’mere…let me…”

He paused…then something flickered in Varian’s eyes…and he reached back towards the chemistry set…

…And Ruddiger’s ears perked up, his tail unfurling and beginning to wag, as an apple was now held in the lad’s hand.

“…Let me make it up to you,” Varian offered, sounding very shy and timid.

Ruddiger smiled. How could he say no? He was hungry, after all…and Varian seemed to be doing better now.

Carefully, the racoon hopped off the stool and scurried over. He lifted his paws, making “grabby hands” for the apple. Varian bent down and gave it to him.

The raccoon smiled, trusting and good-natured, as the Alchemist smiled at his pet, watching him take a bite out of the apple.

With that first bite, Varian felt his heart break.

Internally, he prayed Ruddiger would forgive him for what was coming next.

*I’ll find a way to make it right. Whatever it takes.*


	17. Book I, Chapter XVII

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Unaware of darker plans hatching elsewhere in the Kingdom of Corona, Sora, Eugene, and the rest of our heroes enact "Operation: Save Rapunzel...Again!"

Book I: Serial Dilution

Chapter XVII: The Great Escape

The Guards, Stan and Pete, stood outside of the Princess’ chambers, pole-axes in their hands, staring straight ahead. All was quiet in the Castle as night fell over Corona. Many in the village beyond the castle walls were preparing to settle in for the night, or concluding their evening business. In the castle itself, most of the servants had retired to bed, and the King and Queen had just headed for their own chambers.

Stan and Pete had been put on duty to guard Rapunzel’s “cell” till further notice. They took the night and morning shift, while two other guards – Diedrich and Sean – would take the shift for the “midsection” of the day, allowing the two friends to rest.

Stan yawned; Pete raised an eyebrow at him.

“Tired?”

“Should’ve gotten some more shut-eye before reporting,” grumbled Stan in response.

Pete nodded sympathetically…then winced as his stomach rumbled under his armor plating.

“Hmph…should have eaten a bigger meal before coming, myself,” he muttered.

“You ‘n’ me, both,” snorted Stan.

There was a pause.

“Chicken?”

“Ugh.”

“Well, I’m not having bagels at Attila’s again.”

“What’s wrong with bagels at Attila’s?”

“Nothing, just gets tiring after four days straight.”

“Speak for yourself, they’re-”

“Shh!” hissed Pete, and gripped his axe more tightly, as a struggling figure approached them. The yellow-booted being clumsily trundled down the hall, bearing a large stack of about a dozen colorfully wrapped boxes in his arms. 

When the figure was close enough, Pete lifted a hand. 

“Whoa, whoa, halt!” he exclaimed.

The figure stopped, and Pete carefully pried away one of the packages, allowing a “window” to be made in the stack of parcels. Through the gap, the pair saw a familiar face.

“Hi!” smiled Sora. 

“Shouldn’t you and your friends be getting ready to leave?” Stan cut to the chase, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.

“Well, yeah, but we wanted to make Rapunzel feel better before going,” Sora explained, and nodded to the packages he carried. “Her birthday is coming up, so we pitched in and bought some things for her.”

“Sorry, kid,” Pete said, shaking his head, “Nobody but the King and Queen are allowed in or out.”

“Look, we know what you’re trying to do, Sora,” Stan sighed, “And we frankly don’t blame you. We don’t wanna see the Princess locked up either! It’s just our job.”

Sora blinked…then laughed.

“Are you saying I’m trying to smuggle something in to help the Princess escape?” the teenager exclaimed. “Well, I’m just embarrassed for both of you!”

“Well,” Pete shrugged, muttering to himself, “It was STAN who said it, but…whatever…”

“I promise,” Sora smiled, “There’s nothing but gifts in these packages. You can take a look, if you need to!”

The guards looked at each other…then shrugged.

“Alright,” Stan said reasonably. “What have we got to lose?”

Pete nodded in agreement, and the pair began to unwrap and check the boxes. As they opened them they inspected the contents carefully. They found an inkwell, a snowglobe, a set of paintbrushes…even a pewter teapot. Nothing, however, seemed like it could help Rapunzel break free, no matter how elaborate the scheme. Sora smirked as he leaned back against the wall, and glanced towards the door.

The door opened a tiny sliver, and he saw Rapunzel’s crimson lips quirk in a hopeful smile through the crack.

Sora grinned, winked, and gave her an “OK” signal with one hand.

Rapunzel nodded back, and the door quietly closed once more.

“Oh, wow!” Pete exclaimed, as he pulled an accordion out of one of the boxes. “I’ve always wanted to play one of these!”

“What’s stopping you?” Sora practically purred.

Pete looked to the teenaged boy a bit doubtfully.

“I mean…I don’t know if I should,” he chuckled nervously.

“He’s got a point,” Stan nodded. “These are for the Princess, aren’t they?”

“Well, yeah,” shrugged Sora, “But trust me, she won’t mind even a little bit if you give it a whirl.”

Pete looked to Stan, as if for additional approval, his friend grinned and nodded.

“Try it!” he insisted, and then looked to Sora. “Seriously, we were just saying this morning, we were thinking of starting a band-”

“O SOLE MIO! STA ‘NFRONTE A TE!”

Sora yelped, jumping about a foot in the air, before covering his ears quickly. Stan whooped and cheered (just how tone deaf WAS the guard?) as Pete began to play the accordion…or rather, mangled the concept of music as it was known to the human race, all while singing in the most off-key, whining tenor mortal eardrums could fathom.

“O SOLE MIO, O SOLE MIO!” Pete belted and warbled. “STA ‘NFRONTE A TE! STA ‘NFRONTE A TE!”

Sora winced, smiling even as his poor ears felt like they might just fall off.

Everything was going according to plan.

Unknown to the teenager or the bungling guards, another figure watched from around the corner, not so far away. He started to step out, intending to chastise his men…but then, a new thought struck him, and he changed his mind. The burly man with the moustache thus turned, and began making his way towards the King and Queen’s chambers…  
\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Meanwhile, outside the castle, at the base of the great tower…

“Uh…Quackers?”

“Yeah, Eugene?”

“What part of the escape plan says WE have to be the ones launched from the catapult?”

Donald smirked as Goofy and Flynn Rider sat in the launching mechanism of the very device Flynn mentioned. Maximus used his mouth to tighten the apparatus, turning the crank to allow it maximum power when it was set off.

“Keep looking,” he quacked. “It’s there!”

“A-Hyuck! Don’t worry about it, Eugene!” chortled Goofy, with a bright, exuberant smile, feet dangling out of the “cup” and kicking like a small, eager child. “This oughta be fun!”

“Well, that makes one of us there,” grumbled Flynn, and inspected the paper Donald had given him.

“All set, Max?” the duck checked with the horse. The white stallion nodded.

Donald nodded back, then lifted the telescope he held, looking up towards the tower. Five seconds later (Donald counted), Pascal scrambled up onto the balcony ledge. The tiny chameleon then began to change color repeatedly from black to green, almost like a blinking lightbulb.

“There’s the go-ahead!” Donald squawked with a grin, and moved closer to Max.

“Aha!” Flynn exclaimed at that moment, slapping the paper, while Goofy peered over to look at it carefully. “I knew it! There definitely isn’t anything here saying we, specifically-”

“Oops! My mistake!” Donald giggled, as he lifted his staff, which suddenly caught fire like a torch.

“Wait! NO!” Flynn yelped.

It was too late, of course; Donald swung his staff like a bat, and the fire seared through the rope that held the catapult ready.

SPROING!

“I DON’T LIKE THIS PLAAAAAAAAN!”

“YAH-HOO-HOO-HOOEY!”

The catapult launched, and Flynn Rider and Goofy went sailing into the air. 

Donald extinguished his magician’s staff. He and Maximus looked at each other; Donald lifted a wing, and Max a hoof, as they snickered and gave each other a high-five.

The pair went rocketing into the air, arcing their way towards the balcony beyond Rapunzel’s barred window. They lighted on the balcony easily.

“Lighted” here meaning “slammed into the wall next to the window face first before flopping back to the ground.”

Flynn moaned and after a moment managed to sit up, shaking his head to clear it. Goofy laughed excitedly, clapping his hands with glee.

“What a ride!” the big dog giggled.

“How are we even alive right now?” Flynn groaned. “And how many concussions do you think I just gave myself?”

“Aww, don’t overthink it; happens to me ALL the time,” Goofy shrugged it off, as he got to his feet and looked to Pascal, who waved cheerily.

“Hi ya!” he greeted.

“Goofy! Eugene!”

Flynn hopped to his feet and dusted himself off briefly, before moving to the barred window. Rapunzel stood just beyond.

“Blondie!” the former thief grinned. “I’m here to rescue you from a tower…again!”

“Stand back, both of you!” Goofy called, and readied his shield, stepping back a bit and reeling back like a discus thrower. Flynn backed to the edge of the balcony, Pascal bouncing up onto his shoulder and tilting his head curiously. Rapunzel stepped a pace or two away on the inside.

Goofy paused, intensely focused, then threw his shield like a frisbee. The sharp-edged circle sliced through the bottom part of the iron bars as it spun past…then boomeranged back, and sliced through the upper portion. 

As the shield returned to Goofy’s hands, the bars clanged onto the balcony. Rapunzel sprinted out of her room and hugged Flynn…then, with a smile, moved over and gave Goofy a chaste kiss on the nose.

The canine blinked…then blushed bright red and covered his snout.

“Gawrsh…no need fer that,” he mumbled.

Pascal let out a squeaking laugh.

The Princess of Corona undid her long hair, and lashed part of it around the balcony railing. Eugene and Goofy each clung to her, and all three took a deep breath…before leaping off and swinging till their feet touched the outside wall. Then, the trio ran down the side of the tower itself. In seconds, they reached the bottom, and Rapunzel undid the knot high above, her hair dropping in luxurious coils to the ground around her.

“Welcome back!” Donald cheered, waving to them, while Max whinnied his own greeting.

“Well,” the Princess sighed, smoothing out her dress as Goofy stumbled a bit, clearly dizzy, and Flynn panted from the speed and exertion, “That worked better than even I thought it would.”

“Did it? Did it really?” chuckled Flynn, somewhat hysterically.

“Everybody okay?”

All eyes turned to see Sora hurrying out of the castle towards them.

“We’re fine,” Donald nodded.

“Good,” sighed Sora and smiled to Rapunzel. “Great plan, by the way! Gotta say, listening to the guards murder music for so long wasn’t easy, but…ehhh, I took one for the team.”

“Oh, hey, that sounds really rough,” Flynn remarked, sympathetically. “I feel kinda bad for you…oh, um, by the way, I WAS CATAPULTED INTO A TOWER, HANDSOME-FACE-FIRST!”

Sora winced and smiled bashfully at Flynn’s yell, while Donald, Max, and Goofy all snorted with laughter.

“Heh heh…ah…s-sorry…”

“Okay, guys,” Rapunzel broke in, trying to rein in the group before anything else could go wrong, “It won’t be long till we’re discovered. We should really-”

“THERE THEY ARE! SURROUND THEM!”

Sora whirled about and summoned the keyblade in a flash…and the group gathered together, Maximus crouching low and whipping his tail threateningly as he tried to block the path to Rapunzel, while the rest adopted battle-ready poses.

These reactions were in response to a whole squadron of guards – led by the burly, moustachioed Captain himself – seemingly leaping out of nowhere, all of them holding their own swords ready as they formed a semi-circle, backing the group against the wall.

The Captain glared at the group as they were surrounded, then glanced over his shoulder and nodded to someone behind him…before stepping aside as they entered the circle. Rapunzel gulped nervously, and the rest glared hotly…

…As King Frederic eyed them all with a bored sort of look.

“You know,” the King commented, “You all REALLY need to be less predictable.”


	18. Book I, Chapter XVIII

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two devious plans are put into action.

Book I: Serial Dilution

Chapter XVIII: The Clouded Mind Sees Nothing

Several Minutes Earlier…

King Frederic gazed out from his chamber window, staring up at the moon high above. The crescent high above seemed to grin down at him mockingly, his moustache bristling as he scowled, bushy eyebrows nearly blotting out his eyes. He tightened the grip of his hands, clasped behind his back.

“Frederic?”

The King looked back over his shoulder, the Queen was seated on a chair in a corner of their chambers, reading silently. Though they had supposedly retired for bed, neither had bothered to get into their bedclothes, still dressed in their finery.

“Yes, my darling?” the king intoned.

“You’ve been standing at that window for a half hour,” the Queen observed, quietly. “You haven’t moved a muscle.”

“Oh, I’ve moved a muscle or two,” the king said, a smile flickering over his lips, the edges of his beard curling as a result. “See? I’ve moved my lips, and I’ve blinked a few times. Heh…”

The Queen just looked back at him dryly.

The King’s smile fell, and he dipped his head momentarily, before looking back up at the grinning moon.

“It’s been three days, sweetheart,” the Queen said, placing her book on the nightstand, beside the candle. “You should talk to her, at the very least.”

“I doubt Rapunzel would WANT to talk,” the King said, solemnly. “Not after our last…conversation.”

“Fred, you confined her to a tower the morning after she and one of her friends saved the castle,” the Queen scoffed. “If that’s your idea of a daddy-daughter conversation, I REALLY don’t want to know what a strict talking-to would be like.”

“Just because it was a difficult choice, doesn’t mean it wasn’t the right one,” the King said, crisply, looking back over his shoulder once more. “I’m grateful for what was accomplished, but…perhaps it was best if it had been avoided. She could have been killed, Arianna, or worse.”

The Queen sighed and shook her head, before reaching for her book once more…

Suddenly, there came a tapping at the chamber door. Both royals looked to it with some surprise.

“Your Majesties,” came the gruff voice of the Captain of the Guards beyond, “Permission to Enter?”

“Granted,” Arianna called.

The brawny Captain opened the door. He glanced towards the Queen, bowing his head respectfully, then looked to King Frederic and straightened his posture.

“Your Majesty,” he reported, “It’s happening.”

“Happening?” the Queen murmured, but Frederic stopped her from asking any further questions with a wave of his hand and a gentle smile. The Queen glared at him, feeling suspicious and a little affronted at his desire to keep her quiet, but said nothing.

“So, they’re putting their plan into action, are they?”

“Yes, sire. It’s exactly as you thought; they’re reacting just as you expected,”

“Very good, Captain. We must assemble some of your men.”

The Captain bowed, smiled to the Queen almost apologetically, then turned on his heel and marched out of the room. The King moved closer to Arianna, who stood to meet him. He took her hands gently.

“Please, stay here,” the King said, softly. “I won’t be long. I think our recent guests have decided to pull a fast one on us before leaving.”

“Somehow, I don’t think I blame them…”

“What?”

“Nothing, dear,” Arianna said with a thin-lipped smile. “Just…try to consider all your options, whatever comes, okay?”

The King nodded slowly, looking a little confused by his bride’s words; nevertheless, he gave her a peck on the lips, and then strolled out of the chambers, shutting the door behind him.

The Queen watched him go with a slight frown…then turned away, looking down at the floor thoughtfully; her husband was hiding something – SEVERAL somethings, she could tell. He almost never tried making decisions without consulting her or telling her all the facts; he was a strong leader, but he trusted his wife’s judgment, and they discussed many things. More and more recently, however, he’d been stubborn as a mule, and it was getting out of hand. She knew he only had the best of intentions, but many a human being knows the saying about what road those can pave…

As the Queen mulled things over, she was unware of the chamber window slowly opening a slight crack…unaware of the soft-soled footsteps that tread upon the royal carpet…until…

“Good evening, Your Majesty.”

The Queen whipped around…and gasped in surprise at the sight of the small figure, shrouded in a dark cloak…and an iron mask, with glowing green lenses.

Before the Queen could inquire anything of the masked intruder – how he got in, what he wanted, who he was – he reached into the folds of his cloak…and then thrust out one arm.

“Sleep,” the masked intruder hissed.

Something green and glittery dusted the Queen’s face. Arianna coughed three times…then, her knees seemed to turn to jelly under her…the world began to spin and grow bleary…she suddenly felt as if she hadn’t slept in weeks…

With a light, soft moan, the Queen of Corona fell. She was unconscious before she hit the floor.  
\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Now Back to the Present…

Sora glared daggers, tossing his head to knock some of his spiky hair out of his face as he lifted his keyblade a little higher in a threatening gesture. Donald and Goofy readied their Mage’s Staff and Knight’s Shield, respectively, quickly moving to guard their comrade’s flanks. Max let out a warning call, snorting through his nostrils, as he and Eugene moved to protect Rapunzel…

…From her own father and the guards.

“Under different circumstances,” the King said, smoothly, “I could have you all imprisoned for conspiracy and-or treason. I hope you realize that.”

“Dad, leave them alone!” Rapunzel called, peeking out between the group. “I’m the one who came up with this entire-”

“I never doubted that, my dear,” Frederic interjected, just as smoothly. “Next time, perhaps leave the planning to someone who isn’t known for being locked in towers and seeking any avenue to escape from them? Just a fatherly suggestion.”

“Look,” Eugene spoke up, “I don’t know what’s got you so worried, Your Majesty, but you are NOT locking her back up in that tower. Not tonight. Not like this.”

“I only want what’s best for her,” Frederic insisted.

“Then try another method,” snapped Sora. “If you want her, you’ll have to go through us, first!”

“Yeah!” cheered Donald and Goofy.

The King glanced at the different members of the party, then sighed and shook his head, pinching his brow.

“I hate it when things like this happen,” he murmured, and waved a hand to the Captain of the Guards. “Captain? Take them all.”

The Captain grunted in the affirmative, and he and the guards began to close the circle. Sora lifted the keyblade higher still, in a threatening gesture.

“If you all come any closer…!”

Sora never finished his warning.

In that very instant, a sudden, low, droning sound was heard; like a wind or an ocean tide rolling closer and closer. The sound echoed through the courtyard, causing all to lower their defenses, glancing about in surprise. They didn’t know it, but in the village just beyond the castle walls, the droning was accompanied by the oncoming of a great, dark fog, which rolled across the kingdom, spreading a sickly-sweet smell in its wake as it smothered the starlight and blotted out the smirking moon. The mist flooded the streets, and the sound, smell, and sight alike all had the various citizens leaving their homes, grumbling and mumbling with confusion as they chattered amongst themselves to try and work out what was going on.

Soon the fog reached the castle; it slithered through the cracks in the walls, slipped through the spaces in the woodwork, even seemed to climb over the gates as it fell into the courtyard.

“What in the world…?” Donald gasped.

THWOOMPH!

The castle gates suddenly swung open, seemingly on their own accord, and a huge, thick cloud of the strange, dark blue-violet fog poured into the courtyard. The guards broke formation as their Captain instinctively found the King in the sudden change of atmosphere, adopting a ready position as he set to do his duty.

Sora, Rapunzel, and their allies relaxed their own postures, glancing about and peering into the mist with confusion in their eyes…and rising dread in their own hearts.

“What is this?” murmured Flynn.

“Bad news,” Sora snorted. “What else?”

“Hello, Corona.”

Suddenly, a voice echoed throughout the entire kingdom. Everyone gasped in fright and moved closer together, stunned as the voice filled the air, rising from the mists and resounding through the streets. The voice was sly and yet had a tremulous edge; the voice of a person barely holding on to whatever scraps of sanity and reason they had left, determined to make it clear that they’re voice mattered.

And it was a voice the group of heroes at the Castle knew well. Sora and Rapunzel looked at each other with matching expressions of shock.

“Varian!” they both gasped at once.

“Something dark is coming your way,” Varian’s voice rang out. “Your king refuses to acknowledge it properly. In hopes of keeping his secret, he has tried to suppress those who could help him most. In a matter of days, it is likely this kingdom – this entire WORLD – could be overrun by the Dark Creatures I now call ‘Heartless.’ They have already done well, terrorizing and overtaking the Kingdom’s outskirts. The key to stopping them…is Princess Rapunzel Herself. The Boy With the Keyblade knows something about it all.”

Varian’s voice paused impressively, as if to let this sink into the minds of everyone who heard. Then it came again, and one could hear the way he grew more frenzied and emotional with each passing word.

“I have asked for help, and I have been ignored. I will NOT be ignored any longer! So, to make sure I have your attention, I have devised a new formula, and created something…SPECIAL for you all. Have fun...”

Varian’s voice went silent. At almost the exact same time, the droning noise stopped…and was immediately replaced by a new sound. Through the courtyard echoed a low, guttural growl – bestial and predatory; hungry and aggressive. Even the most hardened guards found a chill running up and down their spines at the noise.

Then…a shadow suddenly flickered in the mist, making Rapunzel jump. Pascal, perched upon her shoulder, let out a startled squeak.

“Ahhh…h-hey, everybody?” Rapunzel peeped. “There’s something in the fog…”

“Captain!” the King thundered. “Seek it out!”

“On it, sir!” the Captain of the Guards declared, and pointed to three of the men who stood close by. “You three! Move to the left of the-GACK!”

Before the Captain could finish his sentence, a huge, gray paw, with long, jagged claws stretched out from the fog and snatched him away, pulling him into the mist. Both the paw and the Captain vanished from sight.

“CAP!” exclaimed one of the men he had been addressing, and he and the other two started to hurry towards the spot where he had stood…only for, a second later, the helmet-less Captain to come flying through the mist like a rocket. He crashed into the other three guards, and they all hit the floor, groaning as the sweet blackness of unconsciousness blanketed them.

The rest of the guards, unsure of what to do, fanned out, swords at the ready. For seven straight seconds, nothing happened…then, one by one, all of them were jerked into the shadows, then tossed aside, slamming into the walls and flying into bushes. The misshapen silhouette of a huge animal – nearly the same elephantine size as the Stormbringer had been – could be seen grasping one of the guards, before hurling them away like a broken doll. The man was sent pinwheeling into garden sculpture.

“More Heartless?” Goofy murmured, as the shadow vanished once more.

“With Varian?” Eugene gasped. “But…the kid would never…!”

“WATCH OUT!” Rapunzel shouted, as a huge paw suddenly loomed over the group. 

WHAM!

The paw slammed into the ground, and its claws scraped over the stones with a sound like nails on a chalkboard. The group had scattered; Sora, Donald, and Goofy had jumped to one side, Max had scrambled back in another, while Rapunzel, Flynn, and of course Pascal all dove in a third direction. 

They all looked up…and gaped with horror at the sight that now leered down at them: a massive beast, looking something like a cross between a raccoon and a sabertooth cat. Its limbs were oddly proportioned with long, muscular forelimbs and much shorter, scrawny hindlegs, causing it to move almost like a gorilla as it darted about, dark, crooked talons scratching at the ground. Its eyes were a pale green in color, and seemed to have neither irises nor pupils, and a similarly-colored fluid oozed from its fanged maw, massive teeth bared in a ferocious snarl. Its shoulders were covered in what looked like blisters or boils. The hideous brute roared, then ducked back into the fog.

Sora shuddered and flexed his fingers around the hilt of the Kingdom Key.

“Nope…not a Heartless…but I guess one giant monster in the courtyard is as good as any other.”


	19. Book I, Chapter XIX

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Varian's newest creation attacks the team at Corona Castle.

Book I: Serial Dilution

Chapter XIX: The Monster in the Mist

“Okay…another giant beast in the courtyard…and we hadn’t even finished fixing things up from the last time one came around,” muttered Rapunzel. “What I wouldn’t give for a frying pan right now…”

“Hey, at least now the odds are better,” Sora chuckled, even as he peered cautiously into the mist. 

“Gawrsh…I’m not so sure,” Goofy muttered. “It sure took out the guards pretty fast!”

“Whatever it is, we’ve handled tougher!” Donald Duck quacked encouragingly to his friend.

“Right!” Flynn Rider smirked, drawing his own sword from its scabbard. “And now you’ll have my dashing good looks and superior skills to-WHOOOAAA!”

The ex-thief was interrupted as suddenly the huge paw of the Raccoon Monster hooked its claws into the back of his vest. With a jerky yank, the goateed fellow went flying!

“EUGENE!” Rapunzel wailed.

“FLYNN!” Sora, Donald, and Goofy yowled.

“GAH!” exclaimed the former highwayman as he smacked into a wall, then faceplanted into the grass. 

For a moment, he lay still…then moaned and slowly began to crawl back up onto his feet.

“Ohhhhh…okay…embrace the pain…it tells you that you’re still alive,” he groaned.

Sora and Company all sighed with relief, realizing the man was okay…but their relief was short-lived, as the Monster’s silhouette could be seen lumbering closer to the downed man.

Maximus let out a neigh and charged forward, then whipped around and launched a raking kick with his hind legs into the Monster’s backside. The beast let out a shrill, yiping sort of sound, and whirled about, its hackles rising as it snapped its slavering jaws at the white horse, who bounded out of the way just in time.

With the monster focused on the stallion, Sora charged forward with a fearsome battle cry, and swung the keyblade in a wide, upward slash. The Monster turned to face its attacker…

SCHWING!

The creature snarled and reeled back its head as the Kingdom Key sliced across its face. Sora smirked and stepped back…

…But his smile fell as the beast turned back around…and the cut on its cheek healed itself within the span of two seconds. The creature then lapped up its own blood from its face with its thick, slimy tongue.

Sora gulped nervously.

“Oh, boy,” he muttered.

The Monster roared and snapped its jaws at the keybearer; Sora nimbly jumped out of the way. However, he wasn’t quite so quick to avoid the animal’s bushy, striped tail, which smacked into his chest like a battering ram. Sora was thrown back, and rolled through the dirt, unable to stop his own momentum. The beast then came barreling towards him, faster than he could guard against it, and lifted its claws to strike the killing blow…

SCHLANG!

The Raccoon-Beast hissed its hate as it stepped back. Goofy had jumped in, just in the nick of time, to guard Sora, the claws scratching into his unbreakable shield.

With the fiend distracted by his compatriots, Donald Duck now saw an opportunity to strike. He twirled his staff and pointed it at the ghoulish brute.

“Time for some magic!” he quacked. “BLIZZARD!”

A ball of blue-white light gathered at the end of Donald’s wand, and then seemed to solidify, forming what appeared to be a giant snowflake. With a flick of the staff, the snowflake rocketed towards the beast as it slowly advanced on Goofy and Sora, trying to back them into a corner. The ice crystals struck the Monster in the shoulder, and it let out a wolf-like howl before looking to find its left arm had frozen solid, stuck to the ground. The demon snarled and sneered, trying to break away. 

Flynn, by now, had gotten to his feet. He heaved his sword over his head and charged at the creature from the opposite side…then slashed at its other shoulder, aiming for the nasty boils that had seemingly formed on its gray furred flesh.

The creature screamed, and tugged with such force that it shattered the ice, then swung around to try and slash Eugene to ribbons. The agile thief ducked and dodged out of the way, and the Monster roared with fury before jumping back into the fog.

Rapunzel had been watching all the while; Pascal, on her shoulder, pumped his fist, cheering the group on. Suddenly, something grabbed hold of her arm, nearly knocking the little lizard off his perch. Both turned fast to find King Frederic holding her by the wrist.

“Rapunzel!” he cried out. “We have to get you to safety! Please…!”

The King tried to drag the Princess back towards the castle, but Rapunzel pulled back hard, gritting her teeth as her emerald eyes hardened.

“No, dad!” she snapped. “I’m not going through that again! I won’t…DAD, LOOK OUT!”

The King turned around quickly…but not quickly enough! The Monster leapt from the fog and pounced toward him. Frederic let out a grunting, coughing cry as the giant beast tackled him and rolled across the grounds, destroying several bushes in its wake.

Once it was done, the foul beast rose…holding the King in its forepaws the way one might hold a soft toy. It licked its fangs and opened its jaws, pulling the King closer and closer to its mouth. Frederic gasped and strained, struggling to escape, but the claws tightened their grip as the fanged maw spread wider and wider before him…

“FIRE!”

A ball of flame suddenly scorched the creature’s stomach, and it screeched before dropping Frederic. Rapunzel, thinking fast, lashed out her hair, and tugged her father out of the way with it…JUST before the beast’s huge paws SLAMMED back to the ground.

“Right now,” the Princess said, seriously, as she untied her father, “I think YOU need more protecting than ME.”

She then looked towards her father’s savior.

“Nice shot, Sora!”

“Nothing to it,” the keybearer called, and then ran at the raccoon-like atrocity once more. He swung his blade around his head six times, but each time, the creature evaded it. 

The Monster growled and swatted its massive paw at Sora, but the keybearer dodged it and slashed the back of its paw. The creature hissed, backing away…but once again, the wound healed itself. Eugene Fitzherbert ran over to Sora’s side, and grimaced as he realized the strike he’d gotten in had healed as well.

“It keeps regenerating!” Flynn exclaimed.

“GANGWAY!”

The keybearer and the ex-thief jumped to either side as Donald & Goofy came skidding onto the scene. Donald was riding atop Goofy’s shoulders, while the knight used his sled to slide forward.

Donald twirled his staff about, and then aimed it at the beast.

“WATER!” he yelled, and a barrage of bubbles, as if fired from a machine gun, blasted forth. The bubbles splashed over the Monster’s face, distracting it momentarily. As it tried to shake the water from its eyes, wincing from the bullet-like impact of the blasts, Rapunzel whipped her hair forward once again, wrapping the coils around one of its forepaws. She then pulled as hard as she could.

The beast’s bushy tail cracked like a whip, and it responded with a sudden, harsh pull. Rapunzel squealed as her hair was jerked roughly; it was unbreakable, true, but the animal was simply stronger than herself! King Frederic held out a hand impulsively as he daughter was thrown onto her belly. The Monster then began loping towards them, slobbering mouth wide open…

With a shrill neigh, Maximus rode to the rescue, and slammed into the beast’s side shoulder-first. The horse stumbled, but the blow did its job, as the giant creature was thrown off balance. It rolled twice, snarled with bristling fur at the horse…then, once again, dove into the shadows of the fog, unseen.

“Okay, physical combat is getting us nowhere,” Rapunzel sighed, winding her hair back up. “We need some strategy.”

“Yeah, but what?” Goofy agreed. “It moves faster than light!”

“WATCH YOURSELF!” Donald suddenly yelled, and tackled Goofy, who yowled as he was thrown to the ground. The Monster’s paw “swooshed” just over their heads, nearly knocking off their hats. Then, it rose up on its hind legs, claws glinting in the scant beams of moonlight that pierced the foul fog.

“FIRE!” Donald cried, pointing his staff at the beast, summoning his firecrackers. They zoomed towards the creature, who dodged out of the way…

…But then, the fireworks exploded into a showers of colored light. The creature screamed, covering its face briefly, then blindly dove back into the shadows.

Sora’s eyes widened and his jaw dropped.

“Faster than light,” he murmured, then grinned and called out. “ITS EYES! It can’t stand the light! We can use that!”

“Good idea!” Rapunzel grinned, then addressed the white horse. “Max? You’re on! Try to bait him! Eugene? Goofy? Stay here with dad, in case something goes wrong.”

“You’ve got it, Sunshine,” Flynn smiled and took a guarded position beside the King, who was watching the battle with an utterly flabbergasted expression. Goofy nodded and followed suit.

Max, meanwhile, cracked his neck in a showy fashion, whickered…then looked to Rapunzel, who pointed towards a back corner of the courtyard. The white horse galloped towards the back corner…and a moment later, the Monster in the Mist bounded out after him, gnashing its teeth with ravenous, rabid rage.

The noble steed skidded to a halt, and then galloped towards his right, and the beast followed suit…but it couldn’t halt its momentum, and crashed into the wall, a few new cracks forming in it.

“It can’t stop on a dime,” Sora observed excitedly. “We can use that, too!”

“I know,” Rapunzel smiled, then called out, “Now, follow my lead!”

The Monster, meanwhile, nearly crashed into another wall, but managed to catch itself, and once again lumbered after Max, snorting and puffing like a mad bull through its nostrils. It was halfway to the spot where the skirmish had started when, suddenly, a ball of bright red-orange flame jetted past its face.

The fiend shrieked, and instinctively whipped back the other way. It had only taken a few steps, before firecrackers exploded before its face.

Roaring with aggravation, the animal wheeled around once more. It spotted Flynn, Goofy, and Frederic, and tried to make a beeline for them, talons at the ready…but then, TWO fireballs flew towards it, nearly singing its muzzle.

This was getting to be too much for the Monster; it howled and nearly tripped over its own uneven limbs as it now began to dash towards the castle gates. Perhaps it was time to retreat. However, before it could reach the exit, something golden and thick flashed across its path…

…And the Monster howled, dust flying everywhere as it struck the object and rolled a short ways…then lay still, as more golden ropes were slung about its body, binding its jaws, its limbs, and even its tail.

Slow, the fog began to dissipate…and as it did, all of those present in the courtyard, aside from the downed guards, began to move closer to the creature…and the Princess who had finally captured it.

“Great work, Blondie!” Flynn cheered.

The Monster growled at all of them, writhing as it struggled to break free, but the long, flowing hair – harder than a diamond – would not yield. Donald moved closer curiously, and extended a hand, as if to try and touch the monster.

“What is it?” he murmured…then cried out in fright – “WAAAAK!” – as the Monster tried lunge at him, snapping its teeth. Rapunzel tightened the binding around its snout till the beast let out a short whimper of discomfort…then her expression shifted to one of pity and uncertainty.

“I don’t understand,” Sora spoke up as he moved closer. “Why would Varian do something like this? Where did this thing come from anyway?”

“I think it’s fair to say the kid’s not exactly in the most FRIENDLY frame of mind right now,” Eugene said grimly. “As to where he got it…”

Before the thief could finish expounding his theory, all were distracted by a bright flash of green light. The Monster let out a roar, which trailed off into a shrill squeal of what sounded almost like despair, as the light grew brighter and brighter…

…Then, finally, the light died down…revealing nothing but a large mound of Rapunzel’s hair, loosely knotted in several places. The group moved closer, as they something moving just under a few stray coils of her golden locks…

…Then, with a chitter, the source of the movement became clear, as it poked its round, monochrome head free, and blinked up at the rest of the group.

“That’s Ruddiger!” Rapunzel gasped in astonishment.

“Varian’s Raccoon!” Sora put in.

Ruddiger shuddered and sighed with what looked like relief, and hurriedly climbed out of the many curly blonde tendrils. He scampered across the castle grounds…then paused, as he noticed a basket of apples near the castle gates. The pudgy raccoon plucked one up in his jaws, and then skittered away, disappearing into the darkness as he scuttled into the shadows towards the city and towns beyond.

The group all watched him go, then began to address each other.

“I can’t believe Varian would do something like that to him,” Sora murmured. “And why would he send him here? I…I thought he was our friend!”

“I knew he was,” Rapunzel said, morosely, and shook her head, taking some of her hair in her own hands and stroking it in a nervous reflex. “I don’t…he must be…what could have…?”

She trailed off, looking crestfallen. Eugene placed his hand upon her shoulder, while Pascal nuzzled into her neck.

Sora bit his lip, and looked away.

“We can deal with him later,” he said, softly, almost sorrowfully. “Whatever he’s up to, there has to be a way to get through to him…but for now…”

He then looked toward King Frederic, who was currently helping some of the guards onto their feet, and gesturing towards the Captain, who lay unconscious on the ground nearby.

“…I think there are other answers we need to get.”


	20. Book I, Chapter XX

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> King Frederic finally decides to share as much of the truth as he can.

Book I: Serial Dilution

Chapter XX: A Father’s Confession

The door to King Frederic’s private chambers shut with a BANG! that echoed through the entire castle.

From further down the hall, a group of heroes watched, and looked to each other carefully.

“Okay…SO!” Sora spoke up, after taking a deep breath. “How should we approach this?”

“Gawrsh…I don’t think it’s a good idea for us all to be in the same room with His Majesty,” Goofy admitted, scratching his head. 

“He’s upset enough as it is,” Donald Duck agreed. 

Eugene Fitzherbert paused thoughtfully, then smiled and placed a hand on Rapunzel’s shoulders.

“I think it’s up to you, Blondie,” he said, softly. “He IS your Dad, after all.”

Rapunzel nodded back, then looked to Sora.

“I could use one friend at my side,” she said, almost shyly.

Pascal squeaked indignantly on her shoulder. Rapunzel chuckled and scritched the back of his head.

“ANOTHER friend at my side,” she corrected herself.

Pascal smiled and nuzzled her neck.

“I’ll stand by you,” Sora said, firmly. “It’s time we both got these answers.”

A groan echoed down the hall. The rest of the gang turned, and frowned worriedly; Pete and Stan, the two dopey guardsmen, were just now hauling a stretcher towards the Palace Infirmary; the Captain of the Guards lay across it.

“We should probably make sure Cap is okay,” murmured Flynn Rider, and looked Rapunzel, giving her a kiss on the forehead. “He’ll listen, Sunshine. After all this, he has to.”

“I hope you’re right,” Rapunzel murmured, then stepped away and began to march down the hall.

“Come on, Sora,” she called over her shoulder, while Pascal waved for the spiky-haired teen to follow them.

The keybearer walked after the princess without delay. The remaining three members of their party headed towards the infirmary.

The pair approached the Royals’ chambers. They looked at each other, then back at the door. Sora reached up to knock…

“Don’t bother,” Rapunzel whispered, and carefully opened the door; it hadn’t been locked at all.

The two peered into the wide, spacious, lavish living quarters inside. Only one candle had been lit, and this, plus the moon and stars streaming light through a wide open window, was all the illumination available. King Frederic sat quietly at the foot of the bed. He gazed up towards the wall. Upon it was hung a painting of himself and the Queen…cradling small child with light blonde air between each other.

Sora felt his heart grow heavy, and gulped slightly, as he saw a single tear form in the King’s eye. The monarch of Corona buried his face in his hands and sighed shakily.

Rapunzel’s own eyes shone with tender sympathy. She pushed the door purposefully till it creaked, then called out quietly: “Dad?”

Frederic froze up. He wiped his face on the back of one sleeve, and glanced towards the door.

“Oh. Rapunzel. Sora,” he greeted, lamely.

“Hi,” Sora said, softly, waving a bit awkwardly and not bothering with any honorifics as he stepped inside.

Rapunzel stepped in after him, and quietly shut the door.

Frederic looked at the pair for a moment, took a deep breath, and stood. He began to straighten out his regal arraignment…

“I thought I had made it perfectly clear to the two of-”

WHUMPH.

Frederic stopped short and stumbled a bit…as Rapunzel all but tackled her father in a tight hug. He blinked down at his daughter…then smiled thinly and hugged her back.

“Thank you,” he said in a quavering voice.

“Things are gonna be okay, Dad,” Rapunzel whispered, then backed up and looked around. “Where is Mom?”

“The Guards are looking for her,” muttered the King. “I…I thought she might have run to safety when she saw the commotion outside.”

“Yeah…I…that sounds reasonable,” Sora piped up, but he sounded doubtful.

The King and the Princess looked to him briefly, then back at each other. Frederic squeezed his daughter closely and gulped back a sob.

“This…this is all my fault,” he moaned.

“No, Dad,” Rapunzel smiled, optimistically. “It’s…none of it is your fault. It’s Varian, the Rocks…”

“Not to mention the Heartless,” muttered Sora, rubbing his arm awkwardly. 

“No,” Frederic sighed more deeply, and pulled away from Rapunzel, taking her hands in his. “My dear…I’m so sorry…it IS my fault. I have, indeed, been keeping secrets from you.”

“We knew that already,” Sora said blandly.

Frederic looked to him morosely. Sora exhaled and softened his tone.

“Your Majesty…whatever you’ve been hiding…it’s costing too much. We can’t help if we don’t know what’s going on.”

“I know you want to keep me safe,” Rapunzel put in, “But whatever has happened to Varian…he’s not stopping. And we can’t even say about other troubles. Please…I need to know.”

“We all do,” Sora put in.

Frederic looked between his daughter and her friend…then puffed softly through his nose – a sort of laugh without mirth – and nodded in surrender, before pulling away and releasing the Princess’ hands.

“Very well…I’ll tell you what I can…”

The King of Corona took a deep breath, and turned to look up at the painting on the wall. He straightened his back and put his hands behind it, clasping them tightly as he finally began to tell his tale.

“As you know, Rapunzel, on the night you were born, your mother fell deathly ill. I was desperate to do anything to save her…and you.”

“So you went looking for a miracle,” Rapunzel nodded.

“The Sundrop Flower,” Sora nodded, as well. “I remember being told about it. It’s what gave Rapunzel her-”

“Yes,” Frederic cut in, looking back over his shoulder at the pair. “But what I never told anyone – none of my subjects, not even my own family, let alone relative strangers – was that there was more to the story.”

He paused impressively.

“Earlier that night, as I was pondering and considering my options…Quirin came to me. Privately.”

“Quirin?” Sora gasped.

“You mean…Varian’s father?” Rapunzel said slowly.

“Yes,” Frederic nodded, keeping his back to them. “Quirin and I were old friends, you see; we fought together long ago. But this is not about old war stories…it’s another matter altogether.”

He began to walk towards the wide open window as he spoke. Rapunzel and Sora looked to each other, then back to the King, and followed steadily and respectfully.

“Quirin knew something about the Sundrop that I never did. That no one in our Kingdom ever could have known.”

“What was that?” Rapunzel asked.

“He did not give me details,” admitted King Frederic. “He did, however, show me a portion of a scroll he kept from travels long before I met him: he warned me that if I used the power of the Sundrop, it would have unimaginable consequences. By removing the light, I would be inviting the darkness.”

“The Dark Creatures,” murmured Rapunzel.

“Heartless,” hissed Sora.

The King nodded, pausing briefly…then moved out onto the balcony outside his palace room. 

“Quirin was never one for exaggerated nonsense,” the King nearly sobbed. “But I saw no other choice. I had to take the risk. I’ve known about the Dark Creatures – the Heartless – all along. So did Quirin.”

“That explains what happened when he had his audience with you,” Sora mumbled.

“I tried to deny at first they were the result of my actions. And when that didn’t work…he and I both chose to try and flee from them. Ignore them as long as we could. Perhaps if we just…shut out the darkness and didn’t give it a thought, it would go away. I wanted everyone else to do the same.”

“Including me,” Rapunzel realized.

“Yes!” Frederic exclaimed, turning to face the two for the first time, eyes wide and slightly glassy. “Yes, especially you! You are connected to them, somehow, and I am responsible.”

“But why would the Heartless be after me?” Rapunzel asked, looking to Sora.

Sora smiled thinly.

“The Sundrop isn’t the flower anymore,” he said, simply. “It’s you. The Heartless seek two things: extreme light, and extreme darkness. The darkness is where they live and breathe…but light is their destroyer. If they can eliminate the light…if they can smother it, or break it…”

“…Then they can devour everything else,” Rapunzel realized with a shudder, and hugged herself. “That’s why the Stormbringer focused on me when my hair began to glow…but also why I could hurt it, and why it was afraid.”

“There may be more to it than that,” Sora admitted, and shrugged. “There has to be, too many unanswered questions. But I don’t know what those answers are.”

“Whatever the basic case, none of this would have happened if I hadn’t been so selfish,” Frederic spat, turning away again as he berated himself, clenching his fists. “A good king would never put the safety of his own family over the safety of his country…!”

“But a father would.”

Frederic froze…and turned.

Rapunzel smiled back radiantly, while Sora gave him a sympathetic smirk of his own.

Frederic weakly smiled back…and he and his daughter hugged once more. Pascal cheeped atop the Princess’ shoulder and nuzzled against the King.

There was a brief pause…then Sora broke it, clearing his throat.

“Well…now that we know the truth,” he said. “We need to see about finding the Queen, and figuring out a way to help the Kingdom.”

“You’re right,” the King nodded, a stern look crossing over his face. “Especially with that boy now clearly flying off the handle.”

“I still don’t understand,” Rapunzel frowned. “Why would Varian create a monster and attack us? Why make such a dramatic gesture?”

“Fallen to darkness or not, it seems sort of self-destructive,” the King agreed. 

“Yeah,” Sora muttered, scratching his chin. “It’s like he WANTED us to-”

“RAPUNZEL! RAPUNZEL!”

“YOUR MAJESTY!”

“SORA! SORA, HEY!”

All three jumped as the chamber door flew open. Flynn, Donald, and Goofy stood there, panting.

“What’s wrong?” Rapunzel asked.

“It’s the queen!” Goofy gasped.

“She’s disappeared!” Donald quacked.

“What?!” thundered Frederic.

“The guards have looked everywhere; she’s nowhere in the castle!” Flynn said, sorrowfully. “Rapunzel…your mom…she’s gone.”

The blood of the princess and the keybearer ran cold. They looked to each other grimly.

…And each spoke the same name at once.

“Varian.”


	21. Book I, Chapter XXI

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Varian and the Queen have a little...conversation. Meanwhile, the heroes formulate their battle plan.

Book I: Serial Dilution

Chapter XXI: The Mad Alchemist

Queen Arianna groaned as she finally began to open her eyes. Her head felt foggy and heavy; the groggy, drowsy sort of stupor one feels when they awaken after perhaps a shade too much sleep. She lifted her hands to rub at her eyes…and blinked when she realized that, in trying to lift one arm, the other came up with it. 

Steadily, alertness and consciousness returned to the Queen’s head. She tried to stand, and let out a short, soft cry of surprise – a sort of gasping, faint yelp – as something seemed to tug on her leg. Inspecting herself, the purple-gowned royal realized that her right leg had been shackled to a large bolt in the floor by the ankle, and her wrists were bound with hemp rope. 

The Queen gazed around herself. She found herself in a dimly lit and cluttered room; a very fine layer of dust had gathered on the tables and chairs; broken bottles and tossed tools lay scattered all around. Someone, she figured, had been trying to do something with them…and when that failed, they promptly hurled them against the nearest wall, or chucked them against the floor. A fresh spider-web had been formed about four to five feet above her head, in a nook of a wall; a Daddy Longlegs lay in wait for fresh prey. An acrid and musty sort of odor filled the air, making her cough lightly.

In the dead center of the room, blocking the Queen’s view of the door beyond, was a huge, patchy, gray-green tarpaulin. The Queen could not make out what was under the tarp, but shards of amber-colored crystal that jutted out from its edge gave her a hint.

CLANG! BANG! BANG! CLANG!

The sound of metal striking metal caught Arianna’s attention. In the shadows to her left, Arianna spotted a huge, hulking shape; she couldn’t quite make out what it was, but it was clearly made of metal. A small figure – decidedly humanoid – was standing on a small ladder, propped up against the iron giant; Arianna could make out the figure’s rather scrawny-looking arm as it swung a hammer against the object. Sparks flew from the metal surface’s colliding…then, a sigh came from the shadows…

“At last.”

Steadily, the figure stepped down from the ladder, and then propped the ladder against a nearby wall.

Baby blue eyes briefly glanced towards the Queen with boredom…then, the figure did a double-take, surprised to see Arianna awake, before its widened eyes slid back to half-lidded, rather uninterested expression.

“Oh. You’re awake, finally.”

Arianna’s jaw dropped, and she sputtered slightly before uttering the name of the boy who stared back at her.

“Varian?”

Varian blinked slowly at the Queen, as if he hadn’t heard her. He looked her up and down with a deeply unsettling look of eerie coolness. Arianna squirmed in place, uncomfortably, the chain on her ankle rattling as a result. She knew the young alchemist: he’d participated in a science exposition at the palace a few months ago, and was generally known as one of her daughter’s friends. She wasn’t exactly the most familiar with him, but she’d seem him working before at the expo. The way the teenager looked at her now filled her with a sense of dread; it was as if she was a bug under a microscope in his eyes.

For many reasons, that was a troubling sensation.

Varian nodded to himself, as if he had decided something – what, Arianna did not know – and then turned a cold shoulder on her as he moved around the large, vaguely pyramid-shaped obstruction. He glanced towards it VERY fast…and Arianna saw the way the lad’s shoulder’s bunched up.

Anger? Fear? Regret? All of the above? None of the above?

She had no clue. Yet.

“Varian,” she spoke up again, as the teen had yet to say another word to her, “What am I doing here? What is going on?”

Varian didn’t even look at the Queen as he lifted a sheet of parchment from his drafting table and inspected it for a few moments.

“I think even you would know what a ‘hostage situation’ is, Your Highness,” he responded, in an even, almost casual tone of voice. The boy then hunched over his table as he put the parchment back down and began scratching away at something with a quill pen.

Arianna blinked; her mouth opened and closed a few times, in a most undignified manner, but no words came out. Finally she managed to regain her composure.

“And why are you…holding me hostage, then, if I may ask?” she inquired, as calmly as she could. She’d never known Varian to be this icy before.

But the ice wasn’t ready to thaw soon, it seemed. Varian let out an almost weary sort of sigh, and Arianna heard the faint “clink” of the quill pen as he replaced it in the inkwell.

Then – still hunched over, Varian turned to look at her, the shadows of his teal-striped bangs making his blue eyes seemed to almost faintly glow in the dark. The Queen flinched back; Varian didn’t seem like the sweet, excitable boy she’d seen at the castle those months ago. His posture, his expression, his demeanor…it all felt like something out of the bogey stories children were told. 

“I’m not going to hurt you,” Varian’s voice came through his large, suddenly sharper-looking-than-the-Queen-recalled teeth. “Not yet, anyway.”

That really didn’t make Arianna feel any better.

“Varian…whatever you want, I promise-”

She shut her mouth fast as Varian snarled, and pointed a pair of rusty scissors in her direction.

“Do. Not. Say. That. Word. Again.”

Each word was slowly-spoken; methodical…but also shaky. There was pain in each and every LETTER the boy uttered, so harsh and so ragged it seemed to scrape against Arianna’s motherly heart like a broken file. She could see Varian’s gloved hand trembling as he held the scissors out, blades towards the Queen; she couldn’t tell if he was shaking with anger…or with fear.

She had a feeling it was both, and she had a feeling she knew what he was scared of.

“Okay, Varian,” she said, calmly and patiently, deliberately making her voice as honey-smooth-and-sweet as she could, and holding out her bound hands placatingly. “I won’t say that word. I’m sorry. Please…put those down.”

Varian narrowed his eyes and snarled again, softer than before…then, something flickered in his eyes, and he shook his head, turning away fast and nearly slamming the scissors back into their container.

Arianna bit her lip, and dared to glance around the laboratory again. Her expression perked up slightly, with some curiosity, as she spotted what – or rather, who – she was looking for: Varian’s faithful pet, Ruddiger. The raccoon was seated on a stool on the opposite side of the room as Varian. The gray-furred critter was watching the youthful alchemist closely, with a sense of trepidation…but also something else.

Pity. Pity and…worry.

Arianna felt her heart soften, even despite her current position. Whether it was because of the raccoon who worried so much…or the boy who clearly needed that sympathy, she was not sure.

However, real fear jumped into her throat as Varian turned towards her again after a moment.

“Don’t worry,” he said, in a sibilant, slippery sort of voice that…frankly didn’t sound like Varian at all. “You are merely a Pawn, My Queen. An important Pawn, however.”

He grinned, and his large, white teeth flashed; his baggy eyes and hunched position once again created a most disturbing visual.

“You’re going to bring me to checkmate.”

Arianna gulped.

“Wh-what do you mean?”

“To be blunt, Your Highness: you are my bait. I need you to lure the Princess here.”

Varian glanced up at the tarp…and his eyes grew deep and sad.

“My father,” Varian said, in almost reverent tones, “Had a scroll that told me everything. Your daughter is connected to the arrival of the Dark Creatures; to those strange Black Rocks that pop up around her. And only the magic of her unbreakable hair can help me.”

“But…if you needed help, why didn’t you just ask?” Arianna asked, with a light laugh, clearly trying to lighten the situation…which clearly was the wrong thing to help, as Varian’s eyes narrowed into cold cobalt slits.

“Oh, I tried asking for help in a civilized manner,” Varian sneered. “I was denied by everyone in Corona.”

He gestured rather flippantly towards Arianna herself.

“So, unfortunately, THIS is my only remaining recourse.”

Arianna shook her head.

“No, Varian. There’s always another way to-”

“THERE IS NO OTHER WAY!” Varian suddenly screamed, with such intensity dust dropped from the ceiling above. “I walked through miles of ice in a raging blizzard, and I BEGGED your daughter, THIS KINGDOM, for help! EVERYONE turned their back on me! It has to be this way!”

The Queen was silent. Ruddiger, where he sat, put his tail between his legs and whimpered, ears flattening back. Varian seethed, fingers twitching, teeth bared in a snarl that seemed somehow more vicious than it should have been on his freckled, pink-nosed face. His eyes were crackling with azure flames. 

Then, the boy seemed to freeze up. It was as if he’d heard something. He looked up quickly at the tarp-covered object. Varian winced, as if he’d been struck, and whimpered…then suddenly ran up to the huge obstruction, and knelt before it, clutching the cloth tightly.

“No! No, it’s…it’s got to be!” he pleaded, as if speaking to the object itself. “I have to…I have to try! This is the only chance I have left! Please!”

He hung his head, shaking slightly.

“Pl-please…let me…let me come through for you…just this once…”

The Queen shuddered, even as her heart began to break. The look in Varian’s eyes was one she’d seen only once before, when she and her husband had paid a visit to a hospital, where certain soldiers had gone after fighting a great war. Not all of their wounds were physical.

Madness. Madness, pure and simple.

His youth and clearly unstable emotional plane only made it harder to watch.

Varian recovered quickly. He took a few deep breaths, stood up, and straightened his apron and gloves.

“Varian,” Arianna spoke carefully. The teen turned toward her with an annoyed scowl, and she went on: “What’s, ah…what’s under there?”

Varian blinked, as if surprised she hadn’t somehow known already…then shrugged to himself in a very sad, heavy sort of way. His shoulders lifted and then slumped back down as if they weighed half a ton on either side.

The teenager didn’t say a word, but simply grabbed the tarp…and swirled it off dramatically. 

Arianna’s face turned pale and she gasped with shock…at the sight of Quirin, preserved in a picture of desperation, trapped within a shell of golden crystals. 

“This,” Varian said, placing a hand against the amber, near his father’s chest, “Is why I need Rapunzel. Only she can free my father.”

The Queen glanced between Quirin’s face and Varian’s.

“…And…after you free your father?”

Varian let out a bark of laughter.

“After?!” he cackled, before his face took on an expression of total bitterness, teeth grinding as he answered: “Oh, well, I’m afraid Corona will pay for turning their backs on me.”

“And…h-how do you intend to…make that happen?”

Varian smiled again, and it sent shivers up and down the Queen’s back. The teenager reached into his apron pocket, and pulled out a small, oval-shaped device, with a large red button on it. Varian pressed the button…

CLICK.

…And then…a haunting, disturbingly jaunty music box tune was heard playing through the laboratory.

Though not as haunting as the five, huge, pupil-less, glowing green eyes that suddenly blinked open in the shadows where he’d been working earlier, staring down emotionlessly at the Queen from eight ten feet over her head.

“Now,” Varian said, “You can start worrying, Your Majesty.”  
\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
“So…what’s the plan?”

In the King’s battle room – which presented a scale model of the entire Kingdom of Corona – Frederic, Flynn Rider, and Rapunzel had gathered their allies. Sora, Donald, and Goofy stood across from them; the Guards, Stan and Pete, stood to their left at the head of the table; even Maximus had been called in, and stood at the foot of the table, closest to Old Corona’s side, while Pascal perched atop his head. The two animals tilted their heads from side to side as they watched the humans (and the dog and duck, naturally) discuss their strategy.

It was Flynn Rider who had asked the question. He crossed his arms, looking expectantly towards the Princess and her father, while Sora, Donald, and Goofy fidgeting impatiently with anxious eyes.

“I had initially considered a full scale attack on Old Corona,” Frederic said, pointing towards Quirin’s castle on the model map. 

“Sir, with all due respect, that…THING hit us pretty hard,” Stan said. “Everyone’s going to be okay, but we won’t be launching a full-scale ANYTHING for quite some time.”

“That is part of why I said INITIALLY,” the King stated, patiently.

“We played right into Varian’s hands when that Monster attacked us,” Rapunzel put in. “He never wanted ME, or even Sora.”

“He used Ruddiger to pull us all away from his real target: The Queen,” Sora put in with a frown. “We’re not gonna beat him with swords or fists. He’ll be waiting for it.”

“Well, gawrsh,” Goofy mumbled, scratching the side of his head, “Then what’re we gonna do?”

Rapunzel smirked, and pointed to the castle of Quirin herself.

“We launch a full-scale attack against Old Corona!”

Pete frowned in confusion.

“But…wait…didn’t you just say-?”

“We’re making him THINK he has the upper hand,” Rapunzel elaborated, then looked to Eugene. “You and Max will lead the assault to the front of Varian’s home. The attack will keep him distracted, and whatever he’s got ready for the strike, he’ll be so busy with it, he won’t notice our own true objective.”

“And what IS the true objective?” Donald asked.

“Simple,” the King smirked, and placed a hand on Rapunzel’s shoulder. “While the front assault distracts the young Alchemist, myself, my daughter, and Sora will sneak in through the underground tunnels.”

“I get it!” Sora cheered. “We’ll pop up right from under Varian’s nose, and save the Queen!”

“That’s the plan!” grinned Rapunzel.

“Fight sneakiness with sneakiness!” grinned Flynn Rider. “Great thinking, Sunshine! You know, in another life, you would have made a great partner-in-crime.”

Rapunzel blushed; the rest just rolled their eyes.

“One problem, Princess,” Stan spoke up. “Varian really only wants you. Once he realizes you’re not there, won’t he suspect something is wrong?”

Maximus let out a soft neigh of agreement, while Pascal nodded nervously.

“Oh, we thought of that already,” Rapunzel assured them all. “On one of the cavalry horses, a member of the party will act as a decoy.”

“Ohhhh, a Fake Rapunzel!” Sora smiled, and gave a thumbs-up. “Nice trick!”

“Oh, really?” snorted Donald, crossing his arms and raising one eyebrow. “And just who is gonna be this ‘decoy,’ huh?”

All eyes looked at the little white duck.

Donald blinked…looked behind him a few times…then glared back.

“What are you all staring at?!”

The eyes didn’t blink or look away.

Realization hit the duck…and he nearly collapsed to the floor.

“Oh. Ohhh. Me an’ my big mouth…”


	22. Book I, Chapter XXII

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which everyone gets ready...

Book I: Serial Dilution

Chapter XXII: Ready As I’ll Ever Be

In the darkness of Varian’s laboratory, yellow-orange sparks flew. They flashed in Queen Arianna’s green eyes, as she watched the alchemist work. His welding torch burned brightly, his green-eyed face mask giving his voice a ghostly sort of echo when he spoke…

“Any moment, now, Your Highness,” Varian hissed with a sense of self-satisfaction. 

Arianna shuddered as the boy tore off his mask and began to step down from the ladder. He looked up at the massive machine he worked on in the shadows as he went on.

“Believe me, I know, I’ve sunk pretty low…”

He glared at the Queen with a sneer.

“…But whatever I’ve done, you’ve deserved.”

The teen turned away. The Queen bit her lip, then spoke up, hoping to reason with him one last time…

“Varian-”

“QUIET!” snapped the boy, eyes flaring up with a hint of insanity once more, before he stomped over to equipment table. Ruddiger had been seated on it, eating an apple…but as the boy moved closer, the raccoon whimpered and hopped off, bounding to the floor…just in time, as Varian slammed down his mask with a snarl. His chest shook, as his voice seemed shaky, as if he was trying to hold back a fit of hysterics…

“I’m the Bad Guy. That’s FINE!” Varian growled, shaking his head as he picked up his hammer. “It’s no fault of mine, and some justice, at last, will be served!”

“Please, listen!” the Queen tried again, but the alchemist didn’t even seem to hear her plea. He walked past Arianna and once again ascended the ladder into the shadows, hammer ringing as he struck a nail or spike into position.

“Now,” Varian’s voice declared from it’s spot in the shadows, “It’s time to step up, or it’s time to back down, and there’s only one answer for me…”

Varian paused. Arianna sighed through her nose; she could hear the sadness, even the sense of regret, in his voice…why couldn’t he just stop this? Why couldn’t he-?

DING!

The chime of a brass bell brought the Mad Alchemist scrambling down his ladder. He dashed over to his chemistry set, as whatever he had been cooking up apparently had finished heating. The boy picked up a small, ball shaped container of glass, and a vial of glowing lavender-colored, viscous fluid.

“And I’ll stand up and fight,” Varian continued, as he filled the ball with the fluid and then tossed it in the air before catching it again in a self-satisfied manner…though the coldness on his face never wavered. “‘Cause I KNOW that I’m right!”

Varian glanced towards his father. The darkness left his face, intense sorrow in his eyes…

“And I’m Ready…”

The darkness returned full force as he stepped away from the table, and into the shadows.

“…I’m Ready…”

He snarled, teeth bared in a villainous sneer, one gloved hand lifting and clenching dramatically, fingers grasping tight around something only Varian could see.

“…I’m Ready!”

Arianna flinched as the freckle-faced scientist flashed her an unhinged glare.

“…READY AS I’LL EVER BE!”  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Meanwhile, at Corona Castle…

“The Captain’s still recovering,” sighed Stan.

“Yeah,” Pete nodded sadly. “There’s no way he can lead this assault.”

“He said he might even slow us down,” admitted Stan, dolefully.

Eugene Fitzherbert frowned and sighed through his nose, stroking his goatee. Around him, hooves shuffled as the guardsmen who were able to fight were all ready to make their charge.

“We’ll make do with what we have,” Flynn Rider said determinedly …then glanced back with a smirk as he heard a sigh and a giggle.

“Heh…holding up there, Donald?”

“I hate you all,” the duck grumbled, pouting like a spoiled child as he had been forced into a Donald-sized purple dress and a long blonde wig.

“Gawrsh, I dunno,” Goofy smiled teasingly. “I think ya look kinda purty in that getup!”

“WAAAAAAK!” Donald yapped back.

Flynn Rider rolled his eyes, and hopped up onto the saddle of Maximus, who sniggered at the predicament the waterfowl was in. Goofy had hopped upon another horse, and was taking great care not to tumble from the saddle. Pete and Stan soon clambered up onto horses of their own.

“Eugene,” Pete said, nervously, “Do you think we can do this? I mean…sure, the kid’s…well…a kid, but he’s…”

“We can’t hesitate now,” Flynn said grimly. “Rapunzel’s Mom – the Queen – is in danger.”

“Right!” called a voice. “There’s no turning back now!”

All eyes turned as a new figure entered the stables. A figure with bright blue eyes…

…Wielding a keyblade.

“Come to see us off?” Flynn smirked.

Sora nodded with a confident smile.

“Sort of. I’ve been ordered to give you all the go-ahead to ride out,” he said. 

“Gotcha,” Eugene said, and Max nodded with a grunt of agreement. “On your signal, kiddo.”

Sora nodded, and took a deep breath…

“Now,” he said at length, “It’s time to rise up, or it’s time to stand down, and the answer is easy to see!”

The keybearer lifted one hand in the air…and in a flash of light, the keyblade appeared, held high over his head.

“And I swear by this sword! If you’re in? Get on board!”

He lifted his free hand in a determined fist as he grinned at the rest of the team.

“Are you ready?”

“I’m ready!” Flynn answered.

“We’re ready!” called Stan & Pete.

“We’re ready!” chorused Donald, Goofy, and the Soldiers.

Sora laughed, and cheered in agreement.

“Ready As I’ll Ever BE!”

On the last word, he swung his sword downwards…and almost like a set of racers waiting for the starting flag, the riders all reared their steeds up, and then galloped past him, his spiky hair rustling as dust clouds swarmed about him. 

Sora watched his friends ride off till they were out of sight, then nodded to himself. His part here was done.

Now, he had other work to do.

Without another word, he dashed towards the nearest exit…  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Beside a tree at the edge of the forest, a little ways behind the bridge that separated the capital of Corona from the mainland, Rapunzel stood in solemn silence. A pensive expression was on her face, a dark cloak wrapped about her shoulders, as she adjusted her hood and glanced about cautiously. In the shadows of her hood, Pascal also peeked out, flicking his chameleon eyes from side to side…

Then, the Princess’ expression brightened as she finally spotted two figures striding towards her…

“There you are!” she chuckled.

“Yeah, sorry,” Sora smiled sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. “Maybe got a liiiittle too into my signal to the others.”

“Meanwhile, I had to make a stop in the kitchens,” smiled the King – who had dressed in black leather armor – as he reached into a satchel at his side…

…And pulled out a frying pan, which had been decorated with an image of the Sun in its center.

Rapunzel’s eyes lit up like a child receiving their favorite toy for Christmas.

“I’m told you’re pretty handy with one of these,” the King teased.

Rapunzel smirked, a mischievous twinkle in her emerald eyes.

“Mm-hm. I sure am!” she practically sang, puffing her chest out with pride…then yelped as the King tossed the pan towards her, and she fumbled to catch it before it hit the ground.

Sora snickered and rolled his eyes.

The King glanced to both of the pair and paused, a look of worry clear on his features, bushy moustache bristling.

“Are you quite sure we can do this?” he asked.

Sora and Rapunzel looked to each other, then back to Frederic.

“Together, we will,” Rapunzel beamed. “Guaranteed!”

The King smiled, nodded, and marched forward, as the three started on their way.  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
“I’LL MAKE THEM HEAR ME!”

Varian’s howl echoed through the night from Quirin’s Castle, as he lashed chains about the huge machine in the shadows.

The riders barreled up and down the hills, racing at top speed across the winding road that led from Corona’s island capital to the densely-wooded mainland. The soldiers’ voices assailed the night…

“Now it’s time to redeem, or it’s time to resolve, and the outcome will hardly come free…”  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Sora tightened his grip on his keyblade as he, the Princess, and the King all sprinted through the forests surrounding the road, taking advantage of the lush foliage to move in secret. They hopped over logs, plunged through the hollows, and batted away branches as they quickly and quietly moved through the woods.

Soon enough, Quirin’s castle came in sight. Sora took a deep breath and flexed his fingers around the hilt of his weapon, pausing as he stared at his own trademark weapon.

“Prove they can trust me,” he whispered to himself.

Unknown to the Keyblade Master, Rapunzel had paused as well. She glanced back at Sora with a look of empathy…

…Then looked towards the Alchemist’s lair in the distance, as her eyes hardened once more.

“I’ll save my home and family.”  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
The riders rode harder and faster, their expressions hardening as they began to brace themselves. They were drawing closer and closer to the old castle in the distance, the trees parting as they made their way towards the battle to come. Stan & Pete looked to each other grimly, as they and the other guards continued their chant…

“Now the line’s in the sand, and our moment’s at hand…”

“And I’m Ready!” bellowed Flynn Rider, drawing his sword.

“We’re ready!” cheered Donald and Goofy.  
Yards away from the back of Quirin’s Castle, Sora, Rapunzel, and King Frederic peeked out from a patch of bushes. They looked to each other and nodded.

“We’re ready,” they hissed stealthily.  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Inside the Castle, Varian watched as he saw the horses moving towards his location, while behind him, the machine was lowered into place by automatic pulleys. His fingers clenched into fists as a shock of blonde hair caught his attention…

He slowly turned…and grinned at the Queen, who instinctively found her hand reaching towards her throat at the look in those enormous, far-too-bright blue eyes.

Varian grinned wider yet.

“Ready As I’ll Ever Be.”


	23. Book I, Chapter XXIII

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who has trapped whom?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Two things: first of all, I apologize for the fact that my Tuesday-scheduled chapters have been coming in on Wednesdays recently. I've been having some issues with the editing process, and that's been keeping me from uploading right on time. Hopefully the remaining chapters will come in on schedule, but if they don't, now you all know.
> 
> Second of all, we're actually nearing the end of Book I! After this chapter, there are only five more left. I'm still working on Book II; it's about halfway done still. As soon as it is completed, I will start submitting it. Just letting you all know so that, if there's a big gap between when this part ends and the next part begins, you know the reasons. Also, Book II will be shorter than Book I, so it will obviously finish faster once I DO start uploading it. How soon Book III and all other books that follow arrive will depend entirely on when I get them done. But I WILL get this massive monster of a story done, make no mistake about that. ;)

Book I: Serial Dilution

Chapter XXIII: The Trap is Sprung

The underground passages beneath Quirin’s Castle were gloomy and claustrophobic. The faint, repetitive “plip-plip-plip” of dripping water from the damp clay ceiling echoed everywhere in a dull, thin, haphazard sort of rhythm. They were just barely wide enough for Sora, Rapunzel, and King Frederic to walk through without having to duck their heads down.  
Frederic carried a lantern he’d had the good sense to bring along; at his side, he wore a short sword in its scabbard. Sora had put away his keyblade (the massive weapon had banged against the wall once and made a dreadful clang that they feared might give them away when they got closer), and he and Rapunzel walked side by side. Pascal was perched upon the princess’ shoulder; he glanced cautiously about, the lizard always alert for any signs of a problem.

There was nothing. Nothing but the hollowed out tunnels.

“Varian’s lab should be dead ahead,” Rapunzel whispered.

“How did you find out about this place?” Sora asked.

“One time,” Frederic broke in, “The alchemist tried to create a bunch of machines that would give his village hot running water.”

“Yeah, he told me about that,” Sora nodded.

“Well, the machines went haywire – classic Varian,” Rapunzel said, with a sad sort of chuckle. 

“He told me that, too.”

“Well, he’d hidden them down here, when he made them,” Rapunzel shrugged, “So I remembered the event.”

“It was hard not to,” growled Frederic.

Sora frowned at the King’s voice; he remembered the damage the other teen and Quirin had described to him…but he couldn’t help but feel a bit defensive. It wasn’t as if Varian had WANTED the machines to explode.

Under the circumstances, however…attempting to defend Varian too much was a bad move. So Sora, against his own judgment, opted to keep his mouth shut on the matter.

It was not long thereafter that the trio saw a rickety ladder, leading up to a huge, black trapdoor that led directly into Varian’s laboratory.

“I’ll climb up first,” Sora offered.

“I appreciate the offer, but why?” the King asked, putting down the lantern near the base of the ladder.

“Simple: if anything is waiting up there for us, I’ll be the first to step into it,” Sora snorted, crossing his arms. “Better I make a doofus of myself than you two.”

Rapunzel and the King could only smile.

Sora took a deep breath, then hopped up onto the ladder. He clambered up quickly; it creaked with his weight. Halfway up, it wobbled, and he hissed through his teeth, clutching it tightly as he felt gravity shift…

“Ah! Careful!” hissed Frederic.

Sora waited till the ladder felt still and steady again, and climbed up the rest of the way, pushing open the trapdoor slowly. He was relieved when it moved open easily.

The young warrior blinked his blue eyes as he peered into the room beyond. He could see cobwebs and smell bitter dust; something of a golden amber shade caught his eye, but he thought little of it. He glanced about…but saw no sign of Varian.

“I think the coast is clear,” he called down, in a hushed tone.

“Then let’s hurry!” Rapunzel urged.

Sora nodded, and scrambled up through the trapdoor, leaving it open. The princess and Pascal followed him, and the King came up last of all.

Once all three were inside the dark laboratory, they brushed themselves off, and looked around for a moment…

…Then gasped and stopped short as they saw the frozen form of Quirin, trapped within the massive sculpture of amber-like crystals.

“Varian’s father!” Rapunzel exclaimed, in a strangled sort of voice, clapping her hands over her mouth while Pascal covered his eyes, like a frightened little schoolboy.

“No wonder the lad snapped,” shuddered the King, a look of grief upon his face upon the sight of his former friend trapped inside the Soranium.

Sora could only stare in shock. How had this happened? What could have caused it? He cursed himself, wishing he’d done something more…wishing he’d at least asked Varian what was really going on…wishing he’d come on his own volition, right away…

He felt something sting his eye, as he remembered the kind and caring way Quirin had acted during dinner together. He wiped the back of one fingerless glove roughly against his face…

…Then froze, as he spotted something past the statue. In a flash, he swung out an arm, and in a flash of light, his keyblade appeared.

The King jumped. 

“What are you…?”

“Shh!” Sora hisse, and pointed subtly around the edge of the crystal monument. The princess and her father peeked around the corner…

…And narrowed their eyes, as they saw what looked like Varian, standing at the window of his laboratory, gazing out in a solemn, silent way.

“We got the drop on him!” Rapunzel smiled excitedly.

“I’ll take care of him,” Sora said, then looked to Frederic. “Your Majesty? Follow me.”

The King nodded stiffly, and the two moved forward. Rapunzel rolled her eyes slightly as both tip-toed somewhat exaggeratedly towards Varian, and then pulled her frying pan out of its hiding place. Holding it like a sword, she followed the pair sneakily.

Varian never once seemed to notice the trio advancing on him. He never noticed the moment when Sora nodded to Frederic, who lunged forward stealthily. He didn’t even seem to react when the king grabbed him by the shoulders and whirled him about…

“What?!”

The King stepped back with a startled grunt…as a large ragdoll, dressed in a wig and a spare set of Varian’s preferred clothing, thudded to the floor, limp and lifeless.

“What is this?!” Frederic snapped.

Sora and Rapunzel gulped.

“Oh, no,” they said in unison.

FAH-PSH!

FAH-PSH!

FAH-PSH!

Without warning, three bright, pinkish-purple spheres dropped from the ceiling, clearly released by some sort of machine, if the distant whirr of gears and squeak of levers was any indication. Before the trio could jump out of the way, they burst into cotton-candy-colored smoke…

…And as all three choked, coughing and wheezing as they tried to fan the mist away, they soon found their feet stuck to the floor by a strange, bubble-gum-like substance, which faintly smelled of strawberries. Sora sneered and swung his keyblade to try and cut through the material…and cursed internally when he found that even his mighty weapon just bounced off the stuff harmlessly.

“We’ve been out-tricked!” Rapunzel exclaimed.

“I can’t get free!” Sora cried out. “Not without the ‘neurolizing’ element!”

“Neutralizing.”

“Whatever!”

“Where are you, Varian?!” shouted Frederic. “Show yourself, boy!”

“Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha…”

All three froze as a chilling whisper of a laugh slithered into their ears like a horde of small serpents. Pascal gulped nervously on Rapunzel’s shoulder, and tried to hide behind her hair, as the trio saw a shadowy figure march towards them in the gloom. At first, all they could see was a glove and a shock of teal-colored hair, illuminated by a makeshift staff covered in glowing vials, which twirled through the air in a masterful flourish. 

Then…the staff tapped down…and Varian lifted his head to grin at the three…and Sora shuddered as the toxic green glow from one of the vials illuminated a menacing smile and wide, wild-looking eyes.

“Welcome Back,” Varian hissed to his captives, “My Friends…”  
\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
“Keep an eye out, everyone.”

“Pete’s right; it’s too quiet, for my liking.”

“Thanks, Stan.”

“If you two keep bantering,” Flynn groused, “It won’t be quiet for long.”

The two guards swiftly snapped their mouths shut.

The group had just crossed the bridge that led into Old Corona, and were only yards away from the entrance to the Old Castle. The horses drew to a stop as everyone but Donald hopped off. The duck was grumbling and pouting, arms crossed over his chest as he blew part of the wig he wore out of his face.

The rest of the team – Goofy, Eugene, Stan, and Pete – all listened intently, looking around cautiously.

All was still and quiet. Not a single sign of life. The castle and its ground seemed utterly devoid of danger…only the omnipresent silence of the empty village could be detected.

“Gawrsh,” mumbled Goofy, scratching his nose with a furrowed brow. “Maybe Sora and Rapunzel were wrong, an’ we overestimated the li’l guy!”

Flynn gave the walking, talking canine a bored look.

“You don’t know Varian very well, do you, sidekick?” he sighed.

Donald continued to grumble, ignoring the situation…until, suddenly, his eyes widened, and he sat up a bit straighter.

“Hey!” he called out.

“SHHHH!” all the rest shushed him fast. Donald nearly toppled off his horse. Max, who was standing nearby, let out a whickering, braying horse-laugh.

The duck glared at the horse, then looked to his comrades.

“Listen!” he hissed, in a hushed tone of voice. “Can you hear music?”

The group furrowed their brows and all tilted their heads. Max raised an eyebrow and allowed his ears to swivel as he tried to pick up what Donald was referring to. Sure enough, a faint, tinkling, jingling noise filtered into their eardrums.

“Hey, yer right!” Goofy realized. “There is somethin’ out there!”

“Sounds like a music box,” mumbled Stan.

“Yeah,” nodded Pete, fingers flexing around his sword’s hilt.

Flynn Rider sighed.

“Music boxes…from Varian…that can’t be-”

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Something huge and misshapen burst out of the ground, like a terrible zombie clawing its way out of its own grave. All yowled in fright, and some of the horses reared up. Donald yelped as he fell headlong to the ground, his wig tangling up in his webbed feet and being torn off his white-feathered head. 

Max snorted indignantly and adopted a battle ready stance, while the rest of the assault party gasped in surprise. Half-hidden by a cloud of dust, looming over them, was a group of huge, iron-forged giant. Each one was at least a dozen feet tall, and built with gorilla-like bodies, involving long, burly arms of steel, and stumpy, thick legs. Five glowing green “eyes” were built into their helmet-like heads, which swiveled around smoothly to peer at the whole group.

The music came from music boxes that were attached to their backs: clockworks that allowed them to work.

“Oh, great,” Flynn muttered. “Leave the kid alone for just one or two days, and he builds…whatever the heck that is.”

He then addressed the rest of the team.

“Alright, guys!” he called out, and lifted his sword confidently. “This thing may be big, but we’ve got him outnumbered!”

Not a single person looked convinced. Donald gulped and pointed behind Flynn.

“Are you sure about that?” he quacked.

Flynn furrowed his brow in confusion, and turned around fast…and turned faintly gray as the dust cleared…revealing roughly a dozen more Automaton creations.

Then – BANG! – all jumped and wheeled about again, as a fourteenth Automaton dug its way up and stood before the team. 

Flynn held his sword tightly and hurried to move closer to the rest of the group, while Donald deseperately struggled to remove his costume and whip out his trusty magic staff.

“On guard, comrades!” Flynn shouted. “IT’S AN AMBUSH!”  
\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Back inside Varian’s laboratory, Pascal whimpered and squeaked as he grabbed hold of the wooden bars on the cage the alchemist had stuffed him inside.

“Varian, wait!” Sora called out, still struggling to try and break free. “You’re hurting him!”

Varian didn’t look the keybearer’s way as he lifted the cage up to his face, peering into it clinically, while Pascal whimpered and scrambled into a corner of the containment unit.

“Not yet, I’m not,” Varian said, smoothly. “And if you behave, I won’t.”

So saying, the alchemist began to move towards one of the tables in the room. King Frederic clenched his fists and gritted his teeth.

“Varian!” he barked. “I demand you release us…and tell us where the Queen is!”

Varian smirked in Frederic’s direction. He let out a twittering, phony giggle and pretended to curtsey.

“Your MAJESTY!” he sang out, sarcastically, then cooed as if speaking to a child. “I know it’s hard for you, but for the first time in your life…”

The smirk vanished…and with a look that could have withered a rose, the alchemist SLAMMED the cage down upon the table. Rapunzel clenched her own fists in a protective show of anger, while Sora flinched upon hearing Pascal let out a shrill, startled squeak.

“…YOU,” Varian snarled, “Are in no position to demand anything!”

Sora narrowed his eyes as he heard the King snarl right back. Varian seemed to stand straighter and truer now, shrouded in darkness that only the Keybearer could physically sense. The once soft eyes were like broken blades of glass, and the once funny buckteeth seemed sharp as a pair of kitchen cleavers. Varian seemed more confident, more self-assured…

…And much more dangerous.

The alchemist seemed to sense Sora’s eyes upon him…and smirked deviously.

“A pity you can’t simply fight your way free, isn’t it?” he taunted. “Does it bother you, Sora, to know how defenseless you are to help anyone?”

Sora’s eyes narrowed into cobalt slits.

“Let me out of this,” he said, warningly, “And I’ll show you how defenseless I am.”

Varian snickered and waved his hands dismissively.

“Nah, I’m good!” he sing-songed, a bit too cheerily to be real.

“Where is my mom, Varian?” Rapunzel cut in. “Let us go!”

Varian shot the princess a withering look.

“I can’t guarantee that second part,” he said, darkly, then grinned anew. “But hey! In the spirit of compromise…”

The alchemist bowed theatrically and stepped back towards a large, dark purple curtain near the back of his laboratory. 

“…How ‘bout I meetcha halfway?”

So saying, Varian clutched the edge of the curtain in one gloved hand. He smirked towards the captured trio, eyes unblinking as he kept his gaze upon them…

…And, at the same time, slowly drew the curtain open.

“MOM!” Rapunzel yelled, and lurched forward to try and run to her…only to nearly fall on her face as the adhesive goop held her fast. Sora moved quickly to catch her and hold her back.

“I’m okay, Rapunzel!” the Queen reassured her daughter, holding out a hand in a soothing manner.

“Arianna, are you hurt?” the King called to his wife.

“Not really,” Arianna answered with a shake of her head and a slight sigh.

The King’s eyes shone with relief…which changed into rage as he heard Varian coo. The young alchemist stepped in front of Arianna, blocking her from sight once more. He clasped his hands together and batted his eyes dreamily as he rested his cheek against them.

“Awww…what a happy family reunion!” he crooned.

“Let her go, Varian, please!” Rapunzel nearly sobbed.

The teenager smirked again, seemingly enjoying the sound of Rapunzel’s distress. Sora shuddered; he’d seen that look on many a face in his young lifetime…but he’d never expected nor hoped to see it on the face of one he had called a friend. Not even Riku had ever given him a smile like that...

“First,” Varian stated, quite calmly, and gestured between himself and the Royal Family, “You’re going to do something for me.”

“What do you want?” Sora inquired.

Apparently, this was the wrong question to ask: in a flash, Varian’s eyes sparked with azure flames, and he let out a cackle of unhinged laughter.

“OH-HO! So NOW you all care about what I want! HA HA!” he laughed, and threw out his arms in an almost celebratory gesture. “Who’d’uh thunk it, huh?!”

In an instant, he was kneeling behind Arianna…and the whole group went very still as his hands wrapped around her shoulders and tugged her close…each resting uncomfortably close to the Queen’s throat.

“And all it took was threatening the things you care for most,” the alchemist commented, in a dead, hollow sort of voice, his grin shifting into a ruthless sort of sneer; an expression that almost seemed challenging.

Don’t test me, the blue eyes seemed to warn, Or she WON’T leave this room alive.

For a moment, there was a tense silence. Sora looked down and realized he still held the keyblade in his hand. He sighed and flicked his wrist…and it vanished in a flash of light.

Varian smirked, and nodded in approval…then released the Queen and stood up, he straightened up his apron and swaggered across the laboratory. Sora noticed he briefly cast a glance towards his father’s encased form…he saw a hint of something soft and frail flicker in those eyes…

…Then, he marched past the captured trio, and the softness faded away.

“What are you going to do, Varian?” the King asked, cautiously, as the alchemist grabbed hold of a large device on wheels, hidden under a ratty tarp. The mad boy chuckled through his nose as he rolled it closer to the center of the room, and the Soranium trap.

“Yeah,” he snorted, tossing his head flippantly as he moved the huge object into position, “I-I’ll spare ya the details about the Sundrop, and Darkness, blah-blah-blah, an’ get to the good stuff. ‘Kay?”

So saying, the young mad scientist threw off the tarp rather dramatically, revealing a large steam drill. Sora noticed that the point of the drill ended in a small hollow, and there seemed to be a feeder pipe of sorts stuck into the side of the machine. 

“Look,” Varian’s voice cut in, and he approached the Soranium. He tapped it twice with his knuckles and raised an eyebrow. “Unbreakable?”

He then moved closer to Rapunzel…who flinched back as the boy suddenly lifted up a bundle of her golden hair.

“Unbreakable!” he chirped, in conclusion, and ran his fingers through the hair for a moment before moving back towards the drill. “To put it plainly: with assistance from my drill, Rapunzel’s hair SHOULD be able to shatter the amber…”

Varian’s shoulders slumped slightly…and he looked up towards the trapped Quirin.

“…And free my father,” he whispered, seemingly more to himself than his prisoners, eyes glowing with a far-away sort of look as his arms went slack at his sides.

Sora, Rapunzel, and Frederic all looked to each other, then back to the boy.

“What do you mean by should?” Sora questioned, suspiciously.

Varian blinked, and looked towards the group as if he had forgotten they were there…then smirked.

“Weeeeeell,” he sing-songed and tapped his chin in mock thought, “I suppose it’s just as likely that the AMBER shatters RAPUNZEL. I mean, the properties-”

“Absolutely not!” bellowed the King, and drew his sword…but then stopped when he heard a small sound, like the coo of a dove, at his shoulder.

“It’s not your choice, Dad,” Rapunzel whispered, lifting some of her hair and eyeing it sadly.

Frederic’s gaze softened and his grip on his weapon loosened…just enough for Varian to suddenly sidle over and push down on it, pointing it uselessly towards the ground.

“She’s right, Dad,” the alchemist quipped with a superior, smug smile, making the king’s beard bristle with agitation.

Sora frowned, then looked to Rapunzel and placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Rapunzel,” he said softly, “I won’t stop you, but…you realize whatever this thing is…it could HURT you…isn’t there another way?”

Rapunzel shook her head.

“To save my mom? To make this nightmare end? If you know of one,” she said, shakily, “I’d like to hear it. Please. If you have a solution, tell me.”

“Yes, Sora,” interjected Varian, and suddenly crossed his arms behind his back as he stood in front of the keyblade wielder with the same self-satisfied smirk he’d given the king. “Tell her everything will be okay, why don’t you? Tell her about how you’ll help her. Tell her you’re her friend, and you’ll never let her down.”

He leaned closer, and both the princess and the spiky-haired teen cringed as his voice became a serpentine hiss.

“Make a promise. Lie to her. It wouldn’t be the first time either of you tried that, would it?”

Neither gave him any reply.

Varian paused, waiting for them to react. He seemed to almost pout when he got no answer…then, abruptly, he snapped his fingers as if he’d suddenly remembered something.

“Oh!” he exclaimed. “I almost forgot: we’re on a bit of a time crunch here? So…”

He stepped back towards Arianna and pulled a vial of golden fluid from his apron pocket, along with a small dropper. Once again, his voice became hollow and corpse-like as he showed both to the pair with a mirthless wiggle of his hands.

“…I’m going to have to speed things along.”

Sora felt himself turn pale as he saw Varian squeeze some of the fluid into the dropper. He knew what the fluid was; even if he hadn’t been shown and told, he would have known, he was sure.

“No!” he shouted. “NO, DON’T DO IT!”

But Varian wasn’t listening. A look of absolute emptiness was in his eyes as he lifted the dropper and allowed a single drop of the formula to fall onto the bolt at the end of Arianna’s chain…

…Then, with a crackle, amber-like crystals – the same ones that had trapped Quirin, began to slowly crackle and crawl their way across the chain and the floor around it…moving closer and closer to the trapped Queen. Arianna gasped and pressed herself against the farthest wall…but the crystals kept coming.

“VARIAN, STOP!” Rapunzel pleaded.

Varian calmly watched the crystals form, quietly placing the dropped back in the vial, and then placing the vial and dropper alike on the table beside Pascal’s cage. The emerald chameleon whimpered as Varian slowly looked back to Rapunzel. He then moved with agonizing slowness back to the trio. The alchemist cast scornful looks at both Sora and Frederic…then pulled the shaker of neutralizing particles free from his apron pocket, and sprinkled them on the floor at Rapunzel’s feet.

The alchemist pocketed the shaker and grinned, a faint yellow mist rising from the evaporating goo as he flashed another mad, sadistic grin at the blonde-haired young lady and her keyblade companion.

“Well then,” he purred, a devil-like look in his eyes as he tilted his head and leaned closer to the pair. “Shall we get started?”


	24. Book I, Chapter XXIV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Outside of Quirin's Castle, Eugene, Donald, Goofy, and their allies all work together to deal with Varian's newest creations.

Book I: Serial Dilution

Chapter XXIV: The Battle of Old Corona

While Sora and the Royal Family dealt with Varian inside the laboratory of the Old Castle, the rest of the team outside had arguably larger problems to deal with.

CLANG! BANG! SCHLANG!

The sound of metal against metal rang through the air, as the music-box-powered Automatons lumbered around the field surrounding Quirin’s Castle. The sounds were the result of the swords of Flynn Rider and the Guards as they tried to hold back the tide of robotic rogues.

“Don’t let up!” Flynn called back over his shoulder, as he rode Maximus through the fray.

He hardly needed give such a demand; behind him, the others in the party were already fighting as hard as they could. The soldiers thrust their blades into the air, ducking and jumping away from the swinging fists of the clockwork abominations. Stan & Pete led the battle, working together as they clumsily dodged a meteoric punch from the droid that had cornered them.

“Take the right!” Stan shouted.

“Your right, or my right?” Pete called back.

“It’s the same right, Pete!” Stan snapped.

“Oh! Right!”

Pete swerved to the right flank of the Automaton. The mechanical monstrosity lifted one heavy arm, ready to hammer it down upon the gangly guard…

…But Stan was a tad bit quicker; he dove to the left, and slashed his sword at one of the bot’s legs. 

He didn’t make a dent, but the clockwork creature must have felt it, somehow, for it turned around fast, and lifted its arm to try and strike him instead.

Pete took the initiative and struck at the Automaton’s other leg. Once again, he barely so much as scratched it, but the attack distracted the Automaton. It let out a deep bellowing sound, as if it were agitated…then, it lifted both of its weighty limbs high over its head, before bringing them down.

BOOM!

Stan and Pete yelped and flailed their arms cartoonishly before falling back as the shockwave knocked them both down. Both barely had time to roll out of the way, as the Automaton then lifted both arms again, but this time, brought its fists down directly towards them. A cloud of dust billowed up from the impact spots, but the pair of dunderheaded guardsmen were able to avoid being crushed.

Amidst Corona’s palace warriors, struggling for all they were worth, Donald Duck and Goofy were not idle. Donald let out an angry “WWWAAAAAAK!” and tore free of his Rapunzel costume, hurling the wig and now-shredded dress up at the nearest Automaton. The robot stumbled back, as the garments flopped over its five green “eyes,” and it tried to shake them off…

Donald thrust his staff outwards, summoning a barrage of firework rockets that blasted towards the Automaton like mighty missiles. They burst into colorful sparks and clouds of black smoke as they struck the creation…and the Automaton stumbled back, but still held its ground, soon regaining its balance and shaking off the dress shreds.

“OH, COME ON!” Donald squawked…then let out a frightened quack as the Automaton slammed its fist down near him.

Goofy held his shield out before him, and used his “Tornado” technique: he twirled about like a whirligig, spinning like an oversized top towards the Automaton. He crashed into one side, his powerful shield banging into its right…then whirled about to its left…he struck its front, then spun towards the back again…

The Automaton’s fists flailed as it tried hard to squash its attack – THOOM, THOOM, THOOM, THOOM! – but it never once landed a hit on the dog-like knight.

Finally, Goofy’s spin slowed to a swift halt…and he shoved his shield forward with all his might, bashing it into the “stomach” of the Automaton. The clockwork menace groaned and fell back, hitting the ground with a terrific crash.

Goofy smiled proudly…but his pride was short-lived, for the Automaton soon, albeit somewhat unsteadily, rose back up again.

“WHOA-OA-OA!” Goofy hollered and clumsily fumbled out of the way, flopping onto his face as the bot BASHED its wrecking-ball-esque fist into the ground, and tripped him up. “Ow…that kinda hurt…”

Flynn Rider ducked away from one swinging metal arm; he tugged at the reins, and Max neighed loudly as they swerved away from another. The horse’s nostrils flared; one almost swore they saw clouds of steam bursting from his muzzle as he galloped around the war zone. 

An Automaton soon barred their way.

“Now!” Flynn hissed to Max, who stopped short and bucked his hips upward. His back hooves smacked into another Automaton, making it fall back…while Eugene flew through the air, sword held high over his head. He slashed it across the helmet-like head of the Automaton…

…And as he dropped nimbly to the ground, snarled slightly when this had absolutely no effect beyond breaking one of the green sensors, which didn’t seem to faze the mechanized monster in the least, as it swung a punch towards him. He somersaulted away.

“Cripes!” he exclaimed. “What did the kid MAKE these guys out of?! They’re tougher than Blondie’s hair!”

Max snorted in agreement as he cantered over to Eugene’s side. The former thief held his sword at the ready as four Automatons surrounded them both. The horse snorted and ground his teeth, adopting a pose more like a guard dog than a normal equine.

All four of the droids lifted their demolishing fists…but before they could bring them down…

“NOT SO FAST!”

Suddenly, Donald and Goofy skidded onto the scene; they slid into the center, using Goofy’s shield as if it were a small sled. They raced between the Automaton fighters, and came to a halt about a foot in front of Fitzherbert and the white stallion.

“BARRIER!” Donald quacked, holding his staff upwards. Just in time, too, it seemed, for the fists came swinging down…

ZZZAMPH!

The Automatons all stumbled back a pace or two, twitching slightly as their eyes flickered; an electrified grid of pale energy had appeared over the heads of the four allies…but it disappeared a moment after contact.

“They’ve gotta have a weakness somewhere!” Goofy said, standing up and holding his shield out defensively. “Varian an’ Sora beat one o’ these guys on their own!”

“That explains how he was able to make these,” sighed Flynn. “I’m guessing Sora never bothered to tell you HOW he beat the one he saw?”

Donald and Goofy shook their heads.

Flynn grumbled to himself…then, a lightbulb seemed to go off over his head.

“Wait a minute! I might have an idea!” he said, and gestured to the valiant horse who stood nearby. “Max? Draw their attention!”

Max nodded, and galloped towards the left. The Automaton saw the moving target, and all four of them turned…

…And that was when the team saw the music boxes that spun across their backs, in-between their burly shoulders.

“AHA!” Flynn exclaimed. “Timing cylinders! And the kid didn’t bother to cover them up!”

“Now we’ve got ‘em!” laughed Donald, and pointed his staff at the Automatons. He gave it a twirl, once again summoning four fireworks…then, with a flick of the wrist, two of the rockets flew at one Automaton, and two more jetted towards another.

At the same time Donald’s fireworks blasted, Goofy and Flynn jumped into the air, each raising their weapons high over their heads, and aiming the sharp edges towards the music box cylinders…

SCHLANK!

KA-BOOM!

The shield’s edge and the sword’s point cleaved clean through the music boxes like a pair of hot knives through butter. The rockets, meanwhile, burst the cylinders on the other two into about fifty pieces.

The robots shuddered, groaned…and crashed to the ground, totally out of commission.

Donald cheered and pumped his staff with excitement, while Flynn once again agilely landed on his feet like a nimble fox.

Goofy, meanwhile, tried to mimic Flynn’s actions…and ended up smacking into the ground face first. Again.

“Gawrsh…he makes it look easy,” the knight mumbled, as he sat up and massaged his aching nose.

Donald Duck snickered, while Flynn stood up and called to the soldiers.

“LISTEN UP, BOYS: YOU’VE GOT TO HIT ‘EM FROM BEHIND! HIT THEIR TIMING CYLINDERS!”

Stan and Pete turned around as they heard Eugene’s cry, then looked to each other with confusion.

“Timing cylinders?” they repeated in unison…then yelped as the Automaton before them “clapped” its huge, ball-shaped fists together, nearly smashing their skulls like a couple of watermelons. The two leapt around its side towards the back…and their eyes widened as they saw the steadily turning brass music box between the shoulders of the behemoth. Thinking fast (which wasn’t easy for either one of them), both adjusted their grips on their short swords and flung them like a couple of javelins at the Automaton. Once stabbed into the top, the other to the bottom, jamming up the cylinder. 

The Automaton groaned; it stumbled klutzily as its gears tried to work…then, there came a loud, ugly CRACK! from somewhere inside the creature…and it thudded “face-first” into the dirt.

Stan and Pete smirked, gave each other a high-five, and then hurried to get back their swords.

Maximus galloped in circles around one Automaton. He neighed tauntingly, and the thing whirled about to try and bash at the horse…only to club one of its own in the metal-plated noggin. The Automaton it had struck dropped to the ground…and the horse promptly loped onto its back. He reared up fiercely and SLAMMED his hooves down…crushing the music box, silencing it and destroying the Automaton.

The one that had accidentally laid low its ironclad comrade was quick to seek retribution, and hoisted its arms high. Max jumped off the back of the broken down construct, but the Automaton must have expected this, for it readily adjusted its aim, and THEN swung down towards the seemingly helpless white steed…

THOOM!

A cloud of dust flew up from the ground, blurring the Automaton’s sensors…so it did not see the daring horse dive between its relatively short legs before leaping onto its back. The Automaton stumbled forward; its arms swung wildly, but it could not get at Max. It could not turn itself around enough, and as its fists were forged, it had no fingers to try and grasp with, anyway.

The bold equine grinned as he lunged forward, and chomped his huge horse teeth around the music box. Then, with a grunt and a whinny, the horse jumped back and off of the Automaton.

CRUNCH!

The cylinder was torn from its sockets violently, and the Automaton immediately went limp and smashed to the ground. 

Goofy and Donald used the newfound information to their advantage right away. The duo spotted a pair of Automatons, lumbering side-by-side across the battlefield as they charged at a group of soldiers, who backed up fast in fright, their swords useless against the armored facades of the creatures.

“Hey! Right-Wing!” Donald called out, shaking his fist. “Come an’ get me!”

“Over here, Lefty!” Goofy shouted, waving his arms. “Ya don’t look so tough to me!”

The Automatons turned in different directions to face the distractions…and that was the moment Donald and Goofy chose to strike. Goofy hurled his shield like a boomerang, and Donald once again blasted his rockets, as each turned droid their back to the other opponent…

SCHWING!

KABOOM!

And that was the end of two more mechanized meatheads.

Flynn Rider soon spread the word of the weakness to the other soldiers; already, nine of the Automatons were down, and it wasn’t long till the remaining five were soon tumbling like ninepins. Eugene and the Guards jumped onto the backs of the robots, stabbing and jabbing with their weapons till the clockwork cylinders fell apart. 

BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM!

Like dominos dropping to the ground, each Automaton hit the ground with a thunderous crash.

“Smart thinkin’, Flynn!” Goofy called to the ex-robber.

“Well, I’m a problem solver,” shrugged Flynn, cockily. “It’s what I do-”

The music box tune began again…and all eyes turned.

Many groaned as they soon saw the source of the sound: thirteen more Automatons, which must have spawned from another spot in the village, all careening towards them like a Baker’s Dozen-worth of oversized apes.

“Oh, for the Love of-HOW MUCH TIME DID IT TAKE THE KID TO MAKE ALL OF THESE?!” Flynn exploded.

“Well, we can’t call victory yet,” Donald grumbled. 

“Maybe not,” Goofy smiled, “But we know how to beat ‘em now!”

“Right!” Flynn nodded, and hoisted his weapon high as he called to the Guards. “Don’t give up yet, guys! We’re just getting started!”


	25. Book I, Chapter XXV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While the battle rages on outside, Varian tends to his "guests" inside...

Book I: Serial Dilution

Chapter XXV: That's Not How the Story Goes

Inside of the old Castle, Sora watched with narrowed eyes and clenched fists as Varian methodically fiddled with the controls on the huge steam-powered drill. The young alchemist stuck his tongue out of his mouth as he focused intensely on getting the drill into just the right position…then gently stroked his fingers through the long coils of beautiful blonde hair that had been carelessly stuffed into the feeding tube of the machine. A small bit of hair stuck out of the hollow point of the sharp metal drill bit.

Sora glanced to Rapunzel, who experimentally tugged at her own flowing locks; she stopped when Varian shot her an absolutely murderous glare.

"Resist too much," he warned, gravely, "And this will hurt a lot more than it has to."

Rapunzel gulped, bit her lip, and nodded. She glanced over to another part of the room.

Sora turned and followed her gaze; he shuddered as he saw Queen Arianna backing up further against the wall as the Soranium crystals slowly but surely spider-webbed their way over the chains and spots on the floor toward her…

On the table, Pascal whimpered, still locked tight in the cage Varian had put him in, glancing nervously to the King, who looked to the Queen with the most intense worry.

Kaboom!

"What's that?" King Frederic grunted, turning fast to look back over his shoulder, as he stood trapped at Sora's side; both of them were still stuck to the floor by the goop from Varian's trap.

"You didn't think I'd be unprepared for some sort of attack, did you?" Varian answered, catching both of their attentions. The alchemist smiled in a truly sickening way. "Believe me, they won't get far."

Sora glared icily.

"Why are you doing this?" he demanded.

Varian's smile fell. A look of unnatural, frosty cool came over his face; he turned away and checked the gauges that jutted from the drill base.

"I told you," he said, softly. "To free my father. I will make him proud."

"Proud?!" Sora exclaimed. "Varian, do you honestly think Quirin would-"

"MAYBE!" Varian yelled, rounding on the keybearer with a snarl, and pointing to him with a shaky finger. "Maybe he would! Maybe if I could prove I was stronger, BETTER, he could see it! If I can get him free, if I can FIX THIS, I can prove that I'm…I'm not just…!"

He ground his teeth together faltering…then hung his head and sighed, arm going limp.

"Never mind. You wouldn't understand."

"Wouldn't I?" Sora pressed.

"My boy," Frederic warned softly, placing a hand on Sora's shoulder, as if to hold him back…but Sora brushed it off, and looked imploringly into Varian's eyes.

"Wouldn't I, Varian?" he all but pleaded. "I know what it's like for others to see you as…a-as weak, o-or foolish! I know what it's like to feel like others won't listen to you, no matter what you try! I know what it's like to feel like people you trusted hurt you, I know what it's like to lose people you care about. You have no idea how much I relate to it, but this…this is NOT the way to fix it all!"

Varian's expression didn't falter once. He paused, looking Sora up and down with a frosty glare…then took a deep breath, and marched towards the trapped keyblade warrior.

"Alright," he said, softly. "Then I have two questions for you, Sora. And if you can answer them…perhaps all this CAN stop."

Sora blinked, and paused, looking taken aback. Before he could comment on that fact, Varian was standing only a few inches away. They were nearly nose to nose. The older teen felt suddenly strangely self-conscious of Varian's slightly smaller height…and it bothered him, for reasons he could not fathom, that he could not help but look down on his fellow youth.

It clearly bothered Varian, too, but neither of them commented upon it.

"First of all, if you knew all those things, why didn't you help me?" Varian asked.

Sora blinked.

"…We…w-we couldn't, Varian, we-"

"Sure. Sure you couldn't," snorted Varian, clearly not believing a word of it.

Sora snapped his mouth shut; there was no point arguing with that attitude.

"Second question then. Of all the things you claim to know," Varian began, calmly, "There is one thing you neglected: do you know what it's like to be seen as dangerous? To be seen as a threat or an unwanted pest, when all you ever wanted to do was help? Do you know how it feels when everyone seems to see you as the bad guy?"

Sora paused. He looked into Varian's eyes deeply. The teen almost seemed to be pleading with him somewhere deep inside, but he couldn't quite reach that place. Couldn't fathom what he was asking him to do. Stop him? Help him? Both? Neither?

Whatever the case…the noble young swordsman knew his answer.

He hung his head and sighed.

"…No, Varian. No, I do not."

"I didn't think so," sneered Varian. Then stepped back. "Well. I'm fed up with that feeling. I'm fed up with fighting that idea. You want me to be the bad guy?"

He paused…then pulled down his goggles, the tint hiding his blue eyes from sight.

"Fine," he said, far too patiently. "Now, I'm the bad guy."

And with those words, Varian turned on his heel. Sora reached out a hand, as if to stop him…then winced and pulled back with a shiver, hanging his head again in regret.

Varian approached the drill and looked to Rapunzel.

"Are you ready?" he asked, his voice monotonous and droning; not a spark of his usual exuberance came from it.

Rapunzel gulped.

"Varian," she said, softly, then paused to make sure he was listening. When she was sure he was, she went on: "If this doesn't work…and something happens to me…please."

She shuddered, and looked him dead in the eye. Sora could see Rapunzel's own eyes were misty with tears.

"…Please…let my Mom go."

Varian didn't so much as flinch, nor lost the droning, dead quality of his voice.

All he said in reply was: "I can't make any promises, Princess."

And with those biting, unfeeling words, the Alchemist turned on his heel, shoved the drill forward till the point pressed against the Soranium casement around Quirin's preserved form…and then pressed a few buttons fast before Rapunzel could even think of responding.

WHIRRRRRR!

Steam burst from the drill's piping, and it spun wildly as Varian jabbed the point into the Soranium. At the same instant, Rapunzel squealed sharply, as her hair was jerked violently in response. She winced, gritting her teeth…as, within moments, her blonde hair began to once again glow with an ethereal, radiant light, like the rays of the Sun were trapped within her flowing mane.

BRRRRRZZZZZZZZZZT!

Sparks flew from the point of the drill as the machine stabbed and spun, grinding against the amber crystals. Sora watched as Varian drove forward; he saw the mad alchemist's expression change from its icy disposition to one of deepest obsession. One of his eyes twitched as he bared his teeth the way a wolf might bare its fangs. His teal-striped bangs fell between his eyes as he gripped the handles of the giant drill with both gloved hands.

Smoke soon joined the sparks. Sora watched with anticipation as golden energy seemed to flow over the Soranium encasing. He held his breath, wondering what would happen. Now, he expected several things: nothing between the amber melting like hot caramel or exploding into a billion fractals would have amazed him.

So, being prepared for just about anything…neither he nor any of the others were prepared for nothing. The energy seemed to be absorbed by the crystal…but the crystal showed no signs of breaking. Rapunzel's hair at the point of the drill scraped against the unbreakable amber…but all they seemed to do was grind against each other…

Varian turned off the drill. He removed his goggles and peered around it…and seemed horror stricken when he saw he hadn't even scratched the surface of his fathers golden prison.

"WHAT?!" he screeched…then, the look of unbridled fury came back over his face. "WHY?!"

With an enraged cry, Varian turned the drill back on; it whirled into life and he FORCED it against the amber as hard as he could. Rapunzel yowled and fell to her knees. Sora went pale as he saw she was beginning to breathe heavily, her own eyes wide and her once lovely face unusually gaunt as the golden energy flowed from her hair into the drill and was sapped up by the Soranium.

"STOP!" the King thundered as he saw his daughter trembling on her hands and knees.

"VARIAN, SHE CAN'T TAKE MUCH MORE!" wailed Sora.

"RAPUNZEL!" the Queen exclaimed.

Varian wasn't listening. His eyes were so wide one could see the tiny vessels at the back; he was all but foaming at the mouth as he pushed the drill as hard as he could; fire and gray vapor burst from the tip, but the amber did not even crack.

"Work! Work!" he barked.

As all this went on, one forgotten figure crouched under a chair and whimpered softly. Ruddiger felt his heart growing heavier and heavier as he saw his human furiously screech. The shrieking of the drill grated into his sensitive eardrums, and he could hear the other humans all shouting and calling out. His heart was banging in his tiny, fluffy chest: this was beyond bad. This was almost the worst it could get.

Almost. If he didn't step in to stop something soon, he knew his human wouldn't be able to fix anything. And he couldn't stand the thought of Varian – the boy who had taken him in and helped him when a hunter's trap had caught him; the child who fed him and petted him and made sure to give him medicine when he was sick – hurting himself any further. Let alone hurting other people.

For everybody's sake, his owner's included, he had to help. But how?

A rattle on the table above caught his ear, and the answer came to the coon in a flash. He hurriedly jumped up on top of the chair, then onto the table top.

Pascal was in his cage, tugging and banging against the wooden bars…but the seemingly rickety cage was tougher than it looked, and the green chameleon – squeak and squeal as he might – couldn't escape or get attention to himself.

The latter, at least, was just what Ruddiger needed.

The raccoon chittered softly, getting the lizard's attention. At first, Pascal seemed surprised to see Ruddiger…then, he glared, no doubt thinking the pudgy, fluffy raccoon was on Varian's side.

In a way, Ruddiger was…but not in the way Pascal expected. The raccoon made a peaceful gesture with his paws. Pascal recognized it, as well as the pleading look in the coon's eyes, and his expression softened.

Ruddiger then cast a nervous glance towards Varian and his drill, to see if his owner would notice. Varian was still in a state of passion…but the rage was giving way to despair. He could see the eyes of his boy flickering with a watery look of desperate desire.

"PLEASE, WORK!" Varian yelled, in a voice so close to when he had first discovered his father's current state, it nearly shattered Ruddiger's pelt-protected heart.

The coon wanted badly to cuddle against Varian and tell him it would all be okay…but now was not the time for such a sentiment. Not when considering the fluffy creature could also see and hear Rapunzel gasping for breath as she clutched her chest and thudded onto the floor, lying on her side. He looked back towards Pascal and chattered in a soft, sad, whimpery sort of way.

The lizard seemed to understand, and nodded, then gestured to the bars. He, himself, was casting frightened glances towards Rapunzel.

Ruddiger smirked a sad sort of smirk…then plucked up an alchemy ball on the table. He wiggled it indicatively…

…Then, with a press of his snout, nudged the cage closer to the edge of the table…then closer…and closer…and closer…

CRACK!

Varian cried out and shut off the drill. Rapunzel let out a sound like a wounded animal behind him, but he didn't notice. He pushed the drill aside and placed his hands against the amber covering. He couldn't see even a speck of fault, but he KNEW he'd heard a sound like something breaking!

He turned fast…and his heart sank into his feet as he saw that what had broken was the drill. The point had burst into four jagged sections, the hair limply hanging through it.

"No…NO!" he screamed, and banged his fists against the amber. "I DON'T UNDERSTAND, WHY WON'T IT…?!"

He tore at his hair and sputtered, eyes darting to find a scratch, a dent, ANYTHING!

Nothing. Nothing. He failed. He'd failed again.

Again.

AGAIN!

The tears rolled freely from his eyes and streaked down his cheeks, tainting them with their salty smears.

"Her hair…i-it should have cut through it!" he choked on his own sobs, and then thunked his forehead against the surface as he sank to his own knees. "Why didn't it work…?!"

Sora's eyes shown with empathy as he watched Varian break down…but while he would have liked to help the younger teen, he was more preoccupied with Varian's victims. The golden sheen left Rapunzel's hair…and she lay limp and lifeless on the ground. Meanwhile, the Soranium Varian had dropped was only inches away from touching Arianna, and thus beginning to consume her.

He couldn't do anything about Rapunzel while trapped…but as for the Queen…

"Your Majesty!" he called out to Arianna, and then summoned the Keyblade. "Stand still!"

Sora pointed the tip of his fabled weapon at the lock on the shackles Varian had placed on her. He glanced to make sure Varian wouldn't notice.

The alchemist was muttering to himself under his breath; Sora couldn't make out a word for it, and had to confess, right now, he didn't care. Saving the Queen was more of a priority.

And if Varian wasn't paying attention, he had his opportunity.

A beam of light flashed from the tip of the Kingdom Key; with laser-like precision (not that anyone in Corona knew what lasers were, mind you), it flew into the lock, and a simple "click" signified the Queen's release.

As the Queen stood up – just before the amber would have begun to coil around her foot – a sudden clatter caught Sora and the King's attention: Ruddiger had knocked the cage onto the floor, and Pascal leapt free as it broke into two clean pieces. The racoon then dropped the alchemy ball into Pascal's mouth, and the lizard scampered towards the trapped monarch and Warrior of Light.

The ball was filled with the neutralizing agent for Varian's "goop grenades." Pascal spat it out between Sora and Frederic's feet, and it burst in a flash of light…and a moment later, the candy-colored adhesive disappeared.

Now free and able to help, both Sora and Frederic raced to Rapunzel's side. Arianna was already ahead of them.

"Rapunzel!" they all cried out at the same time, as the Queen helped the girl up. Rapunzel groaned and blinked blearily up at the group around her. Pascal soon joined them, nudging at her side as the blonde-haired princess moaned and shook her head; she looked dizzy and woozy, but thankfully didn't seem to be hurt.

"Mom….D-Dad…?"

"Sweeheart," Arianna smiled.

"We're here," Frederic said softly. "We're here for you."

Sora picked up Pascal, holding him in one hand and stroking him on the top of the head with one finger…as the Royal Family embraced one another tightly, sinking into each other's arms with grateful, warm relief. Sora couldn't help but smile himself at the sight…

…But in their moment of reunion and liberty…none of them thought of the boy behind them.

Varian knelt, alone and uncomforted, at the base of his father's alchemy-formed prison. His shoulders quivered as he wept, his tears once more pitter-pattering like rain to the floor.

"No…n-no," he gasped out, and gritted his teeth as he roughly scrubbed the back of his hand against his face, trying to wipe away the tears, but more came. His gaze had gone from icy and depraved to vulnerable and soulful; for a few moments, the madness seemed to change. Not disappear, but simply move in a new direction, as he looked up towards his father's frozen face.

"I-I wasn't wrong!" he insisted, as if someone were speaking to him, and he was answering them back. "No!"

He sniffled and shook his head desperately, all but hugging the amber as he continued to plead his case.

"I couldn't have made a mistake! It's…it's not my fault! None of it is! It's-!"

He froze…and slowly…very slowly…he looked back over his shoulder.

He saw the happy family, hugging each other…safe in each other's arms…protecting each other…holding one another close…while their friend and ally watched on with an equally sappy smile, happy to witness such a joyous scene…

Varian looked between Sora's smile and Rapunzel's weary expression…then, tears still staining his face…his face once again twisted into a snarl of ferocious fury.

"…It's THEIR fault."

None of the heroes of Corona noticed or heard Varian's reactions. The Royal Family stepped back a pace as Rapunzel uneasily got to her feet. She stumbled once…but Sora reached out and took her hand. The two friends smiled at one another as he helped the princess back on her feet. Pascal promptly hopped onto her shoulder and nuzzled her neck.

"Rapunzel, are you okay?" Frederic asked, gently, as he and Arianna stood up, too.

"Yes," sighed Rapunzel, still looking rather tired. "I will be."

Then, a look of realization came over her face, and she looked towards the amber "monument" in the center of the dusty laboratory.

"Varian!"

Sora held out his keyblade, expecting some attack…but as all eyes turned, they realized Varian had seemingly disappeared into thin air.

So too, Pascal noticed, had Ruddiger

"Where did he go?" Rapunzel murmured.

"I don't know," Sora responded, glancing about cautiously. "But I have a bad feeling about-"

He stopped talking as, suddenly, the floor began to tremble. All eyes looked down as they could hear a dreadful noise from somewhere below…like the gates of the Underworld, steadily creeping open.

And Sora knew very well what THOSE sounded like.

Then, a second later…CRASHK! The floor suddenly exploded as a huge, pincer-like appendage, clearly formed from dark metal, burst out of the floor.

"GET BACK!" Sora called out, and everyone inched towards the door as a second arm rose up…and soon was joined by a body. Soon, a great, mechanical ogre loomed over them all, taking two steps as it steadied itself in the laboratory; it barely fit within the chamber. It was not unlike the Automaton that Sora and Varian had faced together, but this thing was twice as large as any of those, and instead of a music box, it appeared to be powered by steam: two huge pipes jutted from its back like spikes. It had the same ape-like proportions as the other Automaton, but instead of five green lights or sensors for its "eyes," it had a single, circular window of crimson-colored glass.

And behind the glass, the group could see a familiar face sneering out at them; surrounded by the ruddy glow of the light within and the scarlet tint of his window, he had all the look of a young devil, rising straight from the abyss.

From within the Mech, Varian's voice came, snarling its vengeance.

"Sorry, my dear keybearer and princess!" he spat. "We WERE in this together. But if I can't have a happy ending, THEN NEITHER CAN YOU!"

And with an unholy shriek, Varian's mech lifted its great pincers high…and then brought them down with terrifying force towards Sora…

Rapunzel jerked free of her family and swung out her hair, looping it around Sora's waist and pulling him back as the fists SLAMMED down, creating a crater in the floor.

"RUN FOR IT!" Rapunzel and Sora shouted together, and dashed towards the exit of the lab.

Varian growled, narrowing his eyes as he clutched the controls more tightly, and watched his intended victims flee.

"I told you already," he said softly: "Resist too much, and this will hurt a lot more than it has to…and you're clearly resisting…"

He let out an unhinged giggle…and with a tug on a lever, the machine started to lumber forward, marching after his quarry with agonizing slowness.

"So I guess this is going to have to hurt…immensely."


	26. Book I, Chapter XXVI

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Welcome to the Boss Level!"

Book I: Serial Dilution

Chapter XXVI: The Last Automaton

THOOM!

Flynn Rider nimbly jumped away as he kicked off the back of one of the automatons…and dropped onto his own back with a grunt, failing to catch himself properly. The Automaton, meanwhile, crumpled to the ground with a loud crash, its music box broken and muted.

“Are you okay?” quacked Donald Duck, as he and Goofy trotted over to Flynn’s side while the remaining members of the assault party continued to battle the rest of the Automatons. Flynn grumbled as the pair helped back up onto his feet.

“Yeah, just slight failure to be awesome,” smirked Eugene, and flourished his weapon as he looked about the field and called out: “Alright! Who’s next?”

BANG!

As if in answer, the sound of a door being flung open caught the attention of all. Even the Automatons stopped at the sound. All eyes marked the moment, as Rapunzel, Sora, the King, and the Queen all came dashing out of the old castle lab. 

The trio was about to call out to the group…when they saw what was pursuing them to make them run so fast. With another terrible sound – the crumbling explosion of stone and wood – a huge, misshapen form stomped out of the laboratory, its great arms smashing through the obstacles in its path as it marched onto the scene. Donald and Goofy yelped, the duck jumping into the dog’s arms in startled fright, as the massive machine – bigger than any of the other Automatons – loomed over them.

And behind the red window upon its “head,” Varian’s silhouette was plainly visible.

Flynn blinked…then smiled nervously and jabbed a thumb towards the other Automatons.

“Sorry, buddy, there’s a line?” he chuckled.

Varian snarled within the cockpit, and responded by charging towards Eugene, one of the huge pincer-like limbs of the Mech raised high.

“BARRIER!” Donald cried out, with a swipe of his staff, and as the pincer came down – slashing at the trio – the grid appeared. Varian cried out in surprise as the pincer slammed into the electrified energy field…but with a growl, he tightened his grasp on the controls, and maintained his balance, moving the bot into a battle-ready, almost predatory posture.

“Nice try,” he sneered, his voice echoing from the voice pipes of his machine. “But you’ll need more than a cheap, simple trick like that to finish this!”

“How come I’m not more surprised?” sighed Flynn, then called up: “Look, kid, can’t we sit down with a bowl of spaghetti, or something, and talk about this?”

“THE TIME FOR TALK IS OVER!” Varian snapped out, and flipped up a cover on one of the control levers. On it was a red button. He slammed his thumb down upon it with an evil snicker.

Suddenly, out of the back of the machine appeared two huge launchers. Donald, Goofy, and Flynn stepped back carefully.

“Eugene!” called Stan’s voice.

“Keep the rest of them busy; take ‘em out!” Flynn called back. “We’ll deal with Varian!”

“Oh, you will try,” smirked Varian in response, as he turned a pulley wheel, and – just inside the window – a target screen rolled up and moved into position, to help him aim.

Sora and Rapunzel stopped and turned back; they saw Varian’s mech looming over Eugene, the dog, and the duck. Their eyes widened…then narrowed again as they glanced to one another. Seemingly out of nowhere, Rapunzel pulled her frying pan free, then placed Pascal upon Arianna’s shoulder.

“Keep an eye on them, Pascal,” she ordered.

The lizard saluted her with an affirmative squeak. Arianna smiled as she looked to her shoulder and gave the chameleon a tiny pat on the head in thanks.

“What are you going to do?” Frederic inquired, beard bristling.

“Stop Varian, Save the Kingdom,” Sora smirked. “What else?”

“Stay here,” Rapunzel pleaded, hugging her father close, then whispered: “I’ll take care of myself. I promise.”

The King smiled and gave her a squeeze.

“I know you will,” he answered, faintly.

Rapunzel smiled wider…then, her expression became serious once more, as she gestured for Sora to follow her, and the two ran towards the group.

Varian was just about ready to activate the launcher when Sora and Rapunzel jumped onto the scene. Sora held his keyblade in a defensive position, while Rapunzel twirled her pan as if it were a baseball bat, ready to swing.

“You two should have run,” Varian said, darkly. “You might have been able to escape.”

“We never leave our friends behind,” Rapunzel responded.

Varian’s eyes narrowed.

“Yet here we are,” he hissed. 

“The game is over, Varian!” Sora shouted.

Varian’s eyes widened…then, the mad alchemist broke into peals of wild laughter. It wasn’t his usual, high-strung, nervous giggling, but instead a maniacal, convulsive, thoroughly deranged sound that tore into all of their eardrums like a set claws screeching on a chalkboard.

“HA HA HA HA HA HA! Ohhh, the game is only BEGINNING!” Varian seemed to nearly squeal back, and rubbed his hands together. “Now, time to see what this puppy can REALLY do!”

So saying, the alchemist slammed his fist down upon a large red button on the control panel.

“BOOM, BABY!”

The launchers opened, and two small spheres flew towards the group. They were filled with bright green fluid, which bubbled and fizzed as the orbs came hurtling towards them all.

Flynn’s eyes widened as he realized what the spheres were filled with.

“Explosives!” he cried out. “GET OUT OF THE WAY!”

The whole group leapt in two different directions: Sora and Eugene dove to one side, while Rapunzel, Donald, and Goofy dove to the other. As the orbs hit the ground, they exploded in a flash of fire.

“Impressive, right?!” Varian called out with a cackle. “I always knew I could BLOW YOU ALL AWAY someday!”

“Oh, great…now he’s making evil puns,” sighed Flynn. “What is it with crazy bad guys and evil puns?!”

Varian rounded on the pair with a swing of his mech’s pincers. Rapunzel lashed out with her hair, and wrapped it in a loop around the arm. With a jerk, she pulled it back…but Varian was quick to retaliate by moving the arm back further…and Rapunzel cried out, barely able to dodge the attack as the mech attempted to backhand her. Had it struck, it may very well have maimed her.

Goofy stepped back, narrowing his eyes as he reeled his arm backwards…then slung it forwards sending his shield spinning through the sky towards the mech. It banged against the shoulder of the machine, but hardly made a dent in it; Varian had armored it the same way he had his automatons.

“HEY!” Varian snapped. “Watch it! Do you know how long it took me to align these arms properly?!”

So saying, he flicked a switch on the control panel. The pincers opened up…and suddenly a jet of fire burst from them. Thankfully, Goofy’s shield circled back in its boomeranging fashion just in time, and he held it up barely able to hold back the torrent of fire, and hissing as he felt his prized possession heat up from the blaze.

Donald smirked. If Varian wanted to play with fire, he knew just how to retaliate. With a swish of his Mage’s Staff, the waterfowl wizard summoned what looked like four large icicles out of nowhere, which then rocketed towards the Mech, much as his fireworks so often did.

All four of the icicles struck the arm that was attacking Goofy…and as they struck, they exploded into snowflakes…and suddenly, the arm froze up, covered in frost.

Varian turned to look towards the interfering duck. Donald stuck his tongue out tauntingly, and waggled his fingers in a childish, mocking manner.

“HA HA! Take that!” he crowed.

Within the cockpit, Varian blinked boredly…then, with a flex of the Mech’s limb – CRISHK! – the ice was broken, and he clamped the pincer indicatively as he shook off the frost.

Donald’s mocking smile fell.

“Uh-oh…”

“Donald?” Varian purred. “Remember how I said I was cutting back on meat, and you were worried about us having roast duck sometime?”

Donald gulped nervously.

“Um…uh-huh…”

“Yeah, I think I’m gonna cancel that diet,” Varian grinned. “Starting with One Duck: EXTRA CRISPY.”

BANG-BANG!

Two explosive capsules flew towards Donald.

“WWWAAAAAAK!” cried Donald Duck, and barely had time to jump away from the resulting blast.

The alchemist soon took aim again, firing round after round, the grenades following Donald quickly, but always JUST missing him.

“STAND STILL!” Varian yelled, grinding his teeth in frustration. “Rrrrrgh, I KNEW I should’ve double-checked the calibrations on the targeting device…!”

While the unstable teen was focused on Donald, Flynn and Sora each decided to make their moves. Both ran side-by-side towards the Mech.

“Give ‘em the ol’ Bob-an’-Weave, Loyal Sidekick!” Flynn called to the keybearer.

“On it!” Sora chirruped with a wink, and each ran to opposite sides of Varian’s machine. Flynn bounded around to the front and thrust his sword upwards.

“Hey! Hairstripe!” he called up. “Did I forget to mention that your ham sandwiches never tasted that great?”

Varian gasped, and then narrowed his eyes.

“Oh, it was on before, but now? It is ON-on.”

With a snarl, the pincer swung towards Flynn Rider…but Eugene nimbly sidestepped the strike, then hopped up onto the mech’s arm, before leaping clear onto the “skull” of the piloted automaton.

“GYAH!” Varian cried out, and his pincers snapped as he tried to get Flynn off.

At the same time, Sora swung between the Mech’s legs, and banged the keyblade against the joints. Distracted, Varian cried out as the mech stumbled back…and he crashed to the ground with a sharp squeaking noise from within the cockpit.

Flynn smirked, as he stepped off and gave Sora a thumbs-up.

“Ha! Still got it; great job!” he congratulated.

“Thanks!” Sora smiled as he stood back up…but his smile fell quickly, and he cried out: “FLYNN, WATCH IT!”

Flynn Rider turned quickly…but not quickly enough. He let out a shrill, sharp cry as one of the pincers grabbed hold and wrapped around him tightly. Varian and his machine alike groaned as he stood back up. 

“That,” he growled icily. “Was a poor decision.”

Then, with a furious shout, Varian pulled the Automaton’s arm back…and then threw it forward, releasing the grip on Flynn Rider. Eugene was sent flying through the air…and thudded to the ground, rolling a few feet before skidding to a stop and lying still.

“EUGENE!” Rapunzel cried out and hurried towards her fiance’s side…only to let out a shrill yowl as, suddenly, Varian’s machine grabbed hold of her long, flowing hair.

“You know,” came Varian’s snide voice, “I’m amazed nobody else ever thought of doing this. That long hair o’ yours is just as much a problem as anything else.”

So saying, the alchemist swung the robot suit’s arm around, and thus yanked on Rapunzel’s hair hard. The pink-dressed girl yowled again as she was roughly tossed to the ground like a sack of potatoes.

“Rapunzel!” Sora cried, and tried to run towards her to help her up…when suddenly – FWOOSH! – a jet of flame stopped him in his tracks.

“It’s too bad you didn’t listen to me when you had the chance, Sora,” Varian hissed, clacking the pincers of his mech threateningly. “But I guess I should be used to people not listening to me…”

Sora glared, and charged towards Varian’s mech. The scientist smirked behind the blood-colored glass of his cockpit. He waited till Sora got closer…closer…closer…

“HA!”

THOOM!

Suddenly, he slammed both limbs down upon the ground, creating a shockwave. Sora was promptly thrown to the ground by the quake. With another wild laugh, Varian plunged the Mech forward, then lifted one foot high up.

“Poor, predictable Sora,” he cooed. “Always so quick to get underfoot.”

Just before Varian could attempt to squash the wielder of the Kingdom Key like an ant, Donald and Goofy – just as they had during the battle with the other Automatons – came sledding onto the scene.

“GRAB ON!” Goofy yelled, and Sora managed to clasp the dog’s hand…

…And was pulled out of the way just in time.

THOOM!

Varian snarled, and rounded on the trio as they got to their feet and adopted battle stances.

“I thought you were my FRIEND, Sora!” Varian yelled.

“I was! I AM!” Sora insisted. “Varian, you need to stop! Please! We can still-”

“I’m not listening to you anymore!” Varian thundered. “I don’t need you! I DON’T NEED ANYBODY!”

BAM-BAM-BAM!

Three of the explosive capsules flew from the launcher pipes. Sora charged forward. He bounced from one side to the other, dodging each of the three just in time, then leapt into the air. Varian tried to swipe at him with his pincers…but Sora front-flipped through the air and swept out his weapon in a wide arc…

…And slashed the launchers in half. They weren’t as armored as the rest of the machine.

Varian turned towards Sora, eyes wide and feral behind the crimson glass.

“Ohhhh…oh, you REALLY should not have done that,” he said, far, far too calmly, and lifted an arm to launch another jet of fire…

“HA-HA! EN GARDE!” 

Varian screeched and stumbled back as a sword crashed through the glass, punching a hole in it and throwing him off guard. 

Flynn Rider grinned as he landed with a dramatic flourish.

“If those launchers weren’t as well armored,” Flynn reasoned, “I figured your little peephole there wouldn’t be, either.”

Varian hissed like a spitting cobra; he hadn’t been hurt – miraculously, not a speck of glass hit him – just very much startled. He aimed both pincers at Flynn…

Then cried out as he felt something tug at his leg. He turned to find Rapunzel had wrapped her hair like a lasso around the lower limb. With a jerk, the mech was thrown off balance once again.

“WHOA-OA-OA!” Goofy cried out, and he and Donald clumsily jumped out of the way.

Varian was knocked off of the control panel and banged into the back wall of his mech. For a moment, he lay still, catching his breath. He gritted his teeth, and clenched his eyes shut, trying to drown out the voices in his head.

*They’re making a fool of you.*

*You can’t fight them.*

*Look at how easily they’re beating you!*

*You’re truly worthless, huh?*

**Varian. I’m so…disappointed in you.**

The blue eyes flew open wide. The pupils shifted to pinpricks.

“NO MORE!”

With a banshee-like scream, Varian threw himself back on the controls. Steam billowed from the pipes with a rattling noise, and the Mech lurched back onto its feet.

The five fighters all gathered together, ready for whatever the alchemist threw at them…or so they thought. 

You see, they did not expect Varian to suddenly whirl his machine about…and grab a boulder that just so happened to be nearby. With a snarl, Varian hoisted the huge, jagged stone above the Automaton’s head, then hurled it at the quintet.

“EVERYBODY OUTTA THE WAY!” Goofy hollered, as all five leapt away in separate directions.

None of them were hurt, but they were a bit stunned. Before they had even gotten back onto their feet, Varian came charging at them. Donald and Goofy were the first to stand…and that was perhaps their undoing. Varian thrust out one of his mech’s limbs…and the pincer-hand clamped down, snapping shut like a crab’s claw around both the dog and the duck.

“Donald! Goofy!” Sora cried out.

Queen Arianna and King Frederic, who had been watching the action all the while, gasped in shock. 

“Let them go, Varian!” Arianna demanded.

“Yes! Release them immediately!” Frederic blustered.

Varian turned to look at the King and Queen…then, without a word, marched towards them. Realizing their foolhardiness, and the danger they’d put themselves in, the Royal Family tried to run…but they were just a bit too late. Pascal jumped up on Arianna’s shoulder in a protective stance…but naturally, there was little the lizard could do, and he yelped as he was thrown clear as the second pincer snapped around the two rulers of the Kingdom of Corona.

Varian smirked as he eyed his prizes, lifting them high. The other soldiers and Maximus all froze in horror as they looked to where the giant automaton mech stood: they had been dealing with the other bots, and now suddenly saw the terrible peril their allies and monarchy were in.

Varian turned to face his true opponents once more…

CLANG!

…And jumped back slightly in his cockpit with surprise…before scowling as a frying pan was thrown at the head of his Mech, making it jerk slightly.

Rapunzel stepped forward, with Flynn and Sora flanking her, their swords each held at the ready as she glowered up at the unstable alchemist.

“That,” she sneered, “Is ENOUGH, Varian.”

“More than enough,” Sora agreed.

There was a pause…then came a dark, cold, icy laugh.

“Ha Ha Ha…Enough. Enough. Y’know something…I am getting SICK of people telling me when something is ENOUGH. Well, let me tell you both this…”

He grabbed hold of the controls, fingers fidgeting slightly as sweat smeared his brow.

“It’s not ENOUGH,” he growled through grinding, gnashing teeth, “Until you both endure the same amount of PAIN and AGONY I have!”

He twisted the lever handles. They turned easily.

GRRRRRRRRNNNNNNNCH…

An ominous grinding noise was heard…and Sora and Rapunzel watched in mortal dread as the pincers that held their family and friends began to tighten their grip. Donald and Goofy both yapped and kicked, while the Royal Family writhed and groaned, trying to break free…but the terrible clutches of the Mech would not loosen. One could almost swear they heard an ominous creaking from the bodies of Varian’s intended victims, as the robot claws tightened more and More and MORE…!

“He-Help!”

“S-S-Sora!”

“Ra…Rap…Rapunz-zel…!”

“Stop…s-stop this…!”

Sora and Rapunzel both watched with rising horror, turning pale as their brains searched for a way to fix this, to stop it before it was too late…!

Then, just as the four were starting to gasp for breath, eyes bugging out as their chests were steadily constricted, as if in the grasp a pair of iron anacondas…Rapunzel’s hair began to glow. Sora and Flynn looked towards it, eyes somehow getting wider than before.

“What’s happening now?” Flynn muttered.

The answer soon came to him.

CRACK-CRACK-CRACK-CRACK!

The mysterious Black Rocks had returned. They came in a wave like pattern, just as they had before, the spires shooting up then sinking back, now in two parallel lines, which slowly tapered. They raced past Varian, who glanced with a confused sneer to either side, stalling his kill.

With a final CRACK-CRACK! two Black Rocks formed on either side of Rapunzel…and then…they stopped coming.

Slowly, Rapunzel looked to the rocks on either side of her…then back up at Sora.

Sora looked back to her. Both had a look of realization in their eyes.

“My dreams,” she breathed.

“Your dad,” Sora whispered.

“The which?” Flynn mumbled, looking rather left out.

Rapunzel gave him a smile, then looked back to Varian.

The alchemist’s eyes widened as the Princess with hair like the Sun gave him a challenging stare.

“Alright, Varian,” she said, dangerously. “If you won’t listen to reason…”

She positioned her hands near the two rocks.

“…This is the only way.”

Rapunzel closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Sora and Flynn looked to each other…then very, very carefully stepped back.

And immediately after…Rapunzel grabbed onto the Black Rocks.

The Princess of Corona let out a sudden battle cry, shutting her eyes tightly as power surged through her veins. The glowing hair flared up brighter than ever. So bright, it was blinding, and Sora had to lift an arm over his face to guard himself against its radiant glow. Varian released his controls as the blinding light caught him off guard…causing him to drop all four of his intended victims.

Thinking fast, Sora rushed forward and helped Donald and Goofy to safety. Flynn did the same for the King and Queen. They got out just in time, for a moment later, Rapunzel let out another loud cry, and a shockwave of pure, white light blasted across the field.

TWHOOM! 

Varian, still squinting, leapt at the controls to his Mech; he dug the metal limbs into the ground, and kept it steady as it skidded back from the shockwave blast. As the light faded, Rapunzel still stood there, holding the rocks, panting slightly as she glared at Varian, her long hair whipping around her like the tentacles of a giant golden octopus.

Varian snarled. He was not going to be denied again! With a vicious sneer, he pumped at the controls, and the Automaton began to barrel towards Rapunzel.

The Princess narrowed her eyes, and focused on the power flowing through her. She arched back, gritting her teeth and clenching her eyes shut ith intense exertion…and, as Varian began his dash towards her, she summoned a series of Black Rocks to stop him in his tracks.

CRACK!

The armor of the Mech was tough, but the Rocks, it seemed, were even tougher. One sharp spire jolted up and cleaved off the machine’s right leg. Varian didn’t even seem to notice; the pipes belched up steam in an alarming quantity as he stared through the broken glass and kept his eyes on his prey. The lumbering behemoth continued on its path.

CRACK!

Another spike shot from the ground; it tore off the left arm. Varian gasped as the momentum of the strike caused his machine to go flying into the air…

CRACK!

Another spike shot up at the same time the machine touched down, smashing through the left leg. Momentum continued to carry the Automaton forward as it skidded across the ground on its belly. Varian snarled with determination as he drew closer to Rapunzel, who watched back with eyes like emerald daggers. He slammed the arm mechanism into work, lifting the right arm high, the pincers reaching out to clamp down and crush the princess…!

CRACK!

A spike shot up and caught the last remaining limb through its wrist, severing the pincer controls and stopping it just inches short of Rapunzel.

“GRRRRAAAARRRRAAAAGH!” Varian roared like a wild animal. He continued to frantically pump and jostle the controls. He had to get it to work! HE HAD TO GET IT TO-!

CRACK!

A final spike, larger than the rest, impaled the fallen Mech through its middle, breaking its machine engine. The steam sputtered to an end…and with a groan and a heavy “clunk,” the Mech went dead, the lights behind the broken read glass fizzing out.

Rapunzel then released the rocks…and dropped onto her knees with a sigh. The Rocks themselves then sank into the ground, slowly, one by one.

For a moment, there was silence. Inside the broken machine, Varian could only stare through the busted window of his cockpit in shock. His mouth opened and closed a few times, but no sound came out…then, finally, he let out a sound between a sob and a roar – “NO!” – and collapsed across his useless control panel in defeat.

Everyone else sighed with relief. The battle was over.

Flynn rushed to Rapunzel’s side.

“Hey,” he whispered. “Sunshine?”

Rapunzel slowly opened her eyes…and smiled up at her beau…before kissing him on the nose.

“Hi!” she smiled, as if nothing had happened.

Eugene blinked…then blushed and chuckled.

“Well…no point asking if you’re okay like that,” he mumbled.

Sora, Donald, and Goofy all snickered with amusement. Flynn smirked as he glanced over the trio.

“You three,” he called out, “We are DEFINITELY going to find better ways to spend your visits here.”

“Maybe someday,” Sora nodded as they drew closer.

Then, all paused, their victorious smiles falling, as a despondent sound reached their ears. They looked up towards the Mech…

…And Flynn held Rapunzel protectively, while Sora and the Princess watched with looks of solemn sadness.

There was no great celebration of triumph then and there from them, even as the guards cheered and Maximus neighed with victorious pride.

To them…the only sound they could hear…was the sound of Varian, crying bitterly while surrounded by the ruins of the monster he had built.

Somehow, Sora felt, there had to be significance in that.


	27. Book I, Chapter XXVII

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath of the battle with Varian.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just so you all know, this is the penultimate chapter of Book I. I'm still working on Book II, but after this Thursday, there's going to be at least a couple weeks' gap before the next update. There WILL be more, though. I have the entire six-part story sketched out, and I have finished a good chunk of Book II. So hopefully it won't be TOO long.

Book I: Serial Dilution

Chapter XXVII: Goodbye Old Corona

The Sun was rising steadily, revealing a sky that was clear of clouds.

As dawn broke over Old Corona, one could see several wagons filled with broken, battered, Automaton fragments rolling away down the road towards the capital. Flynn Rider smiled as he helped hitch Maximus up to a final cart, and nodded to the stallion, patting his side. Max smiled back and nodded respectfully to Eugene as the ex-thief turned and walked to join the group behind the last wagon.

"Well," he said with a light chuckle, "Always look on the bright side of life: at least now Xavier the Blacksmith's gonna have a loooot of scrap metal to play with."

None of the others so much as cracked a smile, and only Donald and Goofy bothered to look at him. The dog and the duck looked rather sad, while the King and Queen looked suspicious and cross.

Sora, Rapunzel, and Pascal, meanwhile, all looked…worried. Concerned. Empathetic.

Flynn frowned, and turned away, looking to where the eyes of all were trained, trying to keep his own expression as cool as a cucumber.

He'd never understood that phrase, to be honest: seriously, what was so cool about cucumbers? They didn't even taste that great.

Musings upon old idioms aside, the source of the emotional responses was quite clear: the last wagon was not a cart hauling machine pieces, but instead a jailer's trailer. Stan and Pete wore uncharacteristically stern, stoic expressions as they led a familiar, small figure up the steps and into the back of the wagon.

Just as the figure entered the cart, something brushed up against Stan's leg. He looked down and was surprised when a raccoon scurried up the steps…then scrambled up and around the body of the teenager inside.

Varian stood stiff as a board in the back of the wagon. His eyes held a haunted, far-away sort of look, filled with bitterness and smoldering anger. His freckled face seemed gaunt, his pinkish nose pale, the countenance not helped by the tear stains on his cheeks. Ruddiger let out a croon and pawed at Varian's cheek to try and get his attention; it did no good. Varian seemed to barely be aware his faithful pet was even there…if, indeed, he was aware at all.

One of his eyes was twitching as he cast his empty, steely gaze down upon the floor of the cage cart. When words finally left his mouth, they were croaking, damp and lifeless, as if his voice had been drowned.

"I will make you proud of me, Dad…"

Slowly, he lifted his head up…and cast a snarling look of purest, most acidic hatred – an intense gaze of vengeful disgust – towards the group of seven (eight, counting Pascal) who watched his arrest take place.

"…If it's the last thing I ever do."

CLACK.

The door to the wagon was shut and locked…and Maximus tossed his head with a snort before beginning to trot off down the lane back towards the main city. Varian's sneer of loathing did not leave his face, nor did his eyes leave the gaze of those who watched his "departure," till – after what seemed like an eternity – the prison wagon disappeared over the crest of a hill on the horizon.

For several seconds, there was silence. It was Rapunzel who broke it.

"Don't be too hard on him, Dad," she said to her father.

Frederic looked down at Rapunzel, then off in the direction Varian had been hauled away. Something stirred within his own eyes.

"I'll be sure to do everything I can to get him help," the King of Corona promised, then glanced towards the ruined old castle. "As for Quirin…I will not rest till I find a way to free him."

The King then looked to Sora and Company, and smiled kindly. He moved towards them, and bowed his head respectfully.

"I have much to thank you for," he said, obeisantly. "You have all helped to save my life, my family, and my kingdom. I am sorry for all the trouble I caused you in your attempts to provide aid, and I hope you can forgive me."

Sora blushed and scratched the back of his head, looking rather self conscious.

"Ahhh…heh heh…i-it's okay, really…trust me, we've been through a LOT worse elsewhere…"

Donald and Goofy sniggered, and then nodded with large smiles to the King, to show they forgave him, too.

Frederic smiled wider, then turned as Arianna approached and took him by the arm.

"If you would like," the Queen offered, "We are planning to host a victory banquet. Perhaps you would like to come?"

"I think it's best we left, actually," Sora said, with an apologetic smile. "But thank you for offering."

"By all means," Arianna said, though she looked somewhat sorry to hear it.

"If you should ever choose to return to the Kingdom of Corona," Frederic added, "You will be more than welcome."

So saying, the Royal Couple turned away and walked off, hand in hand, waiting for the newly-repaired royal coach that would carry them home.

Rapunzel and Flynn Rider watched the pair go, then turned to look towards their allies.

"Are you sure you have to leave?" Rapunzel asked quietly, and Pascal made a sad chirping noise. Sora smiled and moved closer, petting Pascal with one finger till the chameleon smiled back.

"Our mission was to seek a shadow in the Kingdom of the Sun," said Sora. "That's why we came here. I don't know if we found what we were supposed to find…but I think any other problems you guys may face, you can handle on your own."

"Oh, trust me," chuckled Eugene, "If there's one thing Sunshine and here are used to, it's saving the World."

"Actually," Rapunzel said softly, and smiled to Flynn. "I…wanted to talk to you about that."

Flynn frowned and tilted his head.

"Saving things?"

"No. The World," Rapunzel said, and addressed the whole group. "Ever since I was a little girl, I spent my whole life locked in a tower. This entire experience has me wondering what else is out there…"

She looked down at her hand…which was clutching a bundle of her hair.

"…And if there are more secrets to uncover," she added, faintly. "We still don't know where the Black Rocks come from, or why they only seem to react to me."

She looked up to Eugene with a radiant, beaming smile.

"I don't know when I'll get the answers there, or what else they may show…but I want to learn. If I'm going to be a Queen, and make decisions, I need to know my people…and I should know how the rest of the world works."

Flynn smiled gently, and hugged his fiancé close.

"If a world-class vacation is what you want, Blondie, I'll be there for you all the way," he said faintly.

Sora's blush deepened, and Donald and Goofy smirked impishly as the teenager dipped his head at the sight of the pair giving each other a quick kiss.

"Awwww…don't be like that, Sora!" Donald quacked.

"Yeah!" Goofy teased. "I'm sure Kairi would be happy to go on a trip with you sometime!"

The keyblade master looked up fast. He seemed downright mortified.

"That's not…! I wasn't thinking…! Just…HEY, STOP LAUGHING!"

No one could.

When the laughter DID die down, Sora couldn't help but smile.

"I hope you two do well," he said, then his expression turned serious. "And…keep us posted when you return. Let us know how things go with Varian, okay?"

"We'll do our best," Rapunzel promised, then smiled. "And wherever you all go, keep your friends close, alright?"

"I know it sounds weird comin' from handsome, dashing, devil-may-care little ol' awesome me," Flynn Rider chirped, "But the ones you care for most will always be the things you should hold onto the tightest."

"Trust me, I know," Sora said, and gave the pair a salute. "If you ever do need help, we'll be there. See you both later!"

And with these parting words, the Princess and the Rogue went one way, while the Warriors of Light went another.

The Sun did not seem as bright as usual in Corona…but at least it still shone strong and true.

And where there was light, there was always hope.


	28. Book I, Chapter XXVIII

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the first part of our story comes to a close, Sora reflects on his time in the Kingdom of Corona, while Varian receives an interesting visitor...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the final chapter for Book I of this story, but it is NOT the end of the story itself. I am currently in the process of writing Book II, and as soon as it's completed, I'll begin uploading chapters again. I've planned out the entire six-part story, so this is far, FAR from the finish line. However, obviously, there is going to be a couple of weeks at least till I finally get more done. In the meantime, here's hoping you enjoy this last bit!

Book I: Serial Dilution

Chapter XXVIII: A New Storm Brews

In the vast, blue-black reaches of the space between Worlds, the brightly colored Gummi Ship quietly cruised on its way to its next destination. Inside the ship, Donald and Goofy had retired to sleep in the bunks they claimed in the small craft's quarters.

Another member of the crew, however, was not asleep. He was a tiny little fellow – roughly three inches in height – and many forgot his presence aboard the ship anyway. He had not partaken in the adventures in Corona…but his fellow crewmates had told him everything.

And now, he was staying up late to sketch and write in his Journal, to catalogue everything they had told him…or, at least, the most salient points.

Jiminy Cricket yawned, his antennae twitching; the anthropomorphic insect adjusted his gloves, as he was still dressed in his tuxedo and spats, his little top hat and umbrella hung up next to him in the sweet little nest up in the ship's rafters, which he called home. He picked his pencil back up and checked what he had written in his book.

"Varian," he murmured, as he looked at the short biography he had provided, reading it aloud to himself: "Corona's resident alchemist. A friend of Princess Rapunzel who became a friend of Sora. Unfortunately, his anger got the best of him after his father was trapped in an accident; he has fallen to Darkness-"

A morose sigh caught Jiminy's nonexistent ear. The cricket blinked, and then glanced down from his perch. He tilted his head as he saw Sora, quietly seated in the cockpit, staring out the window into the vast void beyond the ship. The spiky-haired teen had a forlorn kind of look in his big, blue eyes.

Jiminy frowned empathetically; he had worked for years as a conscience for a truly innocent puppet. He couldn't help but worry when he saw someone who was bothered, and perhaps needed advice. Quietly, the old cricket slapped his blue top hat onto his head – one had to keep up appearances, even among friends – and picked up his umbrella before tucking his journal and pencil into the lining of smart black jacket. Then, after giving a quick adjustment to his yellow ascot, he popped open the red umbrella, and used it like a parachute, drifting down towards the young keybearer.

Sora was silent, staring out the window with a pensive, contemplative look. He blinked as something brushed against his shoulder, and he looked around. A tiny flicker of a smile passed over the boy's lips as the friendly cricket settled there.

"Hi, Jiminy," he smiled.

"Howdy, Sora," Jiminy smiled, and tilted his head. "You look glum."

Sora frowned again, and turned away.

"Just…a little…thoughtful," he answered slowly.

"Mmm," Jiminy hummed with a nod, and turned away, looking out the window alongside the boy. For a few moments, neither said a word.

"…Well?"

"Hm?"

"Aren't you going to…you know…ask me what's wrong?"

Jiminy looked to Sora calmly.

"I think I already know," he said, simply. "And I think if you want to talk about it, you will."

Sora bit his lip…then took a deep breath.

"I just…I only knew him for a few days…but he seemed like such a good guy. I…I really did feel like I was his friend, Jiminy. I wish I could have done more for him. Maybe…maybe if I had tried to help him more…"

"Varian didn't change because of anything you did or did not do," Jiminy consoled the boy, and his smile turned sadder when he saw Sora wince at the name. "I think he had a lot of problems. You said that the village he lived in didn't seem to like him very much, and while I'm sure Quirin tried to do what was best…"

"He only wanted to make him proud," Sora nodded. "I don't think he ever felt he did."

Jiminy nodded back. Sora looked to him with wide, sad eyes.

"I just…I've seen so much Darkness," Sora said, very quietly, his voice becoming shaky. "I've seen so many monsters, so many people who fell into that place…after Tron, I thought that I'd never see another friend fall like this. But Tron didn't fall by choice; he was forced into it. I never thought…I never thought I'd see someone GOOD decide to become the villain."

Jiminy furrowed his olive-colored brow, and looked away thoughtfully, clasping his hands in front of him.

"There are a lot of people who live in the dark," he said, softly. "Like Maleficent, or Xemnas…they are the sorts of villains who are easy to spot. They embraced the darkness long ago, and they make no secret of who and what they really are. But sometimes…sometimes a person isn't even aware of the darkness within their own soul. They can be a problem."

Jiminy looked back to Sora.

"Everyone," he said, somewhat warningly, "Has the ability to be led by Temptation. Trust me, I would know. It's harder to avoid than you might think. And when all the chips are down, and a person feels they have no other choice, Temptation becomes harder to refuse. People forget their conscience, they lose their way, and they go to the darkness not because they want to, nor even because it's all they have…it's simply because they honestly believe they have no choice."

"But he did have a choice!" Sora protested. "Couldn't he see that?!"

"In another time, maybe," Jiminy said with a soothing smile. "It's not always that easy. When a person decides to embrace the dark for any reason, they don't always realize how destructive the choice is. It shatters them: their minds, their hearts…everything they are."

Sora hung his head softly. Jiminy paused…then placed a hand on Sora's shoulder. The brush of the insect's gloved palm caused Sora to look up again.

"But you know…just because something is broken…that doesn't mean it can't be fixed," Jiminy said, in a fatherly sort of voice. "You never gave up on Riku, remember? He, too, was tempted, but he found his way back. And Kairi wouldn't give up on you, even when you became a Heartless yourself; that's as far into the darkness as you can go, but she never let go. If anyone can fix Varian, I think you and Rapunzel are the ones to do it."

Sora blinked…then smiled gently.

"Thank you, Jiminy," he said, softly. "Maybe when I return to Corona…things can be different."

"I hope so, Sora; I really do," Jiminy said.

Sora chuckled, and grinned.

"You know…Pinnochio was lucky to have a Conscience like you," he teased. "You're good at this."

"Well," Jiminy Cricket chortled, "They don't call me Lord High Keeper of the Knowledge of Right and Wrong for nothing."

So saying, the nimble cricket hopped down, first onto the arm rest of the seat, then onto Sora's knee, then finally down to the floor.

"I think it's time I get some shut-eye," he said. "You should get back to bed yourself, Sora. Lots of adventuring to get through, y'know."

"I'll sleep soon," Sora assured the cricket. "Thanks again."

Jiminy smiled and tipped his hat in response, then strolled away to find his way back up to his little nest.

As he walked, he pulled his journal back out of his pocket and looked over the short biography on Varian again.

"He has fallen to Darkness…but with a little bit of luck, maybe someday, at last, he'll see the Light again."

Meanwhile, back in the Kingdom of Corona…

King Frederic marched boldly through the dimly-lit, dank halls of the castle dungeons. He shivered slightly as he walked through the cold, claustrophobic prison area. In point of fact, the dungeons of Corona were relatively empty; crime was scarce, and while Frederic was the first to say he'd done some questionable things as a King from time to time – he was so grateful for Rapunzel's forgiveness – he and Arianna, on the whole, were beneficent rulers.

On the upside, that meant – in the current block he entered – all was quiet. There were no scoundrels sneering and spitting at him or whining rats begging for release and claiming they had been framed. All was very, very still and silent.

That, however, was the downside at the same time: there was a lonely, frigid atmosphere to the deepest depths of the dungeons that left one feeling greatly uneasy. They felt haunted, and sometimes Frederic wondered if they truly were. The silence was unending, only the sound of his own feet breaking the monotony as he slowed his pace and approached one particular cell, far from prying eyes.

In the shabby torchlight of the dungeons, the cell was only half-lit. As Frederic peered inside it, even the mighty king felt something inside him seize up slightly.

The one he came to speak too was resting on their cot in the shadowy part of the room, leaving only a vague, dull look at them. In the shadows, the King could see that the figure sat upright, legs crossed…stroking their pet raccoon as the furry little animal curled up in their lap. But what arrested the King most were the two eyes – so bright and blue they looked like white-hot flames – which unblinkingly stared at him. The moment he had turned the corner, he'd found them already looking at him, as if the boy had been waiting for his arrival.

Largely shrouded in shadow, Varian said nothing; he breathed steadily, the blue eyes filled with such a look of utter loathing it made Frederic's skin crawl with a curious blend of guilt and indignation…but not fear. He was not going to be intimidated by this child.

Not even a little bit.

Nope.

Not at all.

"Good morning, Varian," he whispered, and the sound echoed everywhere as if he had spoken at his full voice. "Are you…feeling well?"

Varian just stared back, and said nothing. Ruddiger opened one eye and looked to Frederic; the raccoon curled up tighter against Varian. The King wasn't sure if he was scared of Frederic…or perhaps worried the King would hurt his boy…or both.

The King frowned slightly. The coon had helped them escape, yet he still seemed to take the youth's side in all this. Perhaps that was simply the depths of the pet's loyalty…Frederic had to admit, faithfulness like that was hard to come by.

"Your pet is…very stubborn," he said, speaking on the subject. "I had to convince the Captain to let him stay with you. It wasn't very difficult, as apparently he nearly bit the man."

Ruddiger smirked, showing no sign of apology.

Varian remained as silent, still, and unblinking as before.

Frederic's frown deepened.

"Are you not going to speak to me?" he urged, somewhat brusquely.

Varian blinked once…then spoke in a dead, icy voice.

"I have the right to remain silent. I choose to exercise that right."

There was a pause.

"…Is that all?" the King urged.

Varian said nothing. He did not even move. He simply kept eye contact with the King, and did not break it for a moment.

Frederic sighed. Cautiously he placed a hand on one of the bars. Varian did not react.

"I want you to know…you may not believe me, but I truly regret this," Frederic said. "I have never once imprisoned someone of your age. There has never been a need; barbaric practices like that were a thing of the past…till now."

Still no response from the alchemist, who simply stroked Ruddiger slowly, not once watching his own movements.

"Rapunzel and Eugene have left. They…wanted me to tell you they wished you goodbye."

Frederic paused, then stiffened his posture, straightening his back.

"I promised my daughter," he said, calmly, "That I would see to it I helped you in any way I can. I have called for a doctor from a neighboring kingdom; he has…special talents that may prove useful in your case. If you behave yourself, and work with him, you may be out of here in…"

He paused again, and smiled wincingly.

"…Well…let's just say it would be wise of you to do those things. Yes?"

Varian remained still and unblinking.

Frederic's smile fell.

"…I am sorry about what happened to your father. And I am sorry my own negligence, and his complicity, led to all this. If I could turn back the clocks and help, I would. While I cannot say I feel you were in the right, and I cannot say I do not feel a twinge of anger at you for your actions, Varian…I do forgive you. And I hope you can forgive me. My daughter. Sora. Everyone."

Varian narrowed his eyes.

He uttered a single, snarling word.

"Never."

Frederic blinked…then sighed again and hung his head, shaking it wearily.

"I will leave you to your thoughts," he said, in a tone of surrender. "But…please think on what I have said…and know that if I thought there was any other way to help those I cared for most, I would have gladly taken it."

"Funny," Varian said, in a silky sort of way. "That's exactly what I felt before you tossed me in here."

He gestured to the shackles on his wrist, and the ball and chain around his ankle.

"I suppose we have more in common than you think, Your Majesty."

Frederic frowned and said nothing. He waited for precisely ten seconds to see if Varian would say anything else…then, without another word…turned and walked away.

Varian waited till the King's footsteps were out of hearing range…

…Then, in an instant…the hard, icy, burning look of smoldering vengeance fled his face…and Varian's shoulders shook, his eyes shutting tight as he sobbed bitterly. Ruddiger, hearing his owner's crying, let out a crooning sound and nuzzled against him. The young, gangly teen hugged his beloved pet close, crying into his fur the way a small child would into their pillow.

"I'm s-sorry…sorry, Dad," he blubbered out. "I'm…I'm so…s-so sorry…"

He sniffled and wiped his face, and looked towards the ceiling, letting the coon ease into his lap once more.

"I'll…I'll find my way out," he said quietly. "They can't keep me in here forever. They still underestimate me…"

He growled and glared, the hate returning to his eyes.

"…I'll show them. I'll show them all who they are really dealing with."

"Really?" came a smooth, elegant, feminine voice. "And just who, exactly, are we dealing with?"

"GYAH!" exclaimed Varian, none too eloquently, nearly jumping a foot out of his skin and falling off the cot in the process. Ruddiger, startled by both the voice and the tumble, dove under the cot and blinked out nervously.

"Owww," groaned Varian, clutching his skull, then froze up as he heard the voice let out a soft, sinister sort of chuckle.

"An amusing little fellow, aren't you?" the voice cooed, then went on: "Poor child. Neglected. Rejected. Shunned by the world that did him wrong. No chance to save the one he cares for most. Betrayed by those he considered his friends. Such a tragic situation…"

Varian gulped, and sat upright. He looked around, but saw nothing.

"Oookay…ahh…y-you don't…sound like my usual hallucinations," he said with a nervous laugh. "So, uh…um…m-mind telling me who you are, Mrs. Voice?"

"That will come in a moment," the voice said. "First, I have a question for you, Young Varian: would you like to free your father?"

Varian's eyes widened, and he nodded, moving onto one knee.

"More than anything in the world!" he exclaimed, and glanced about, still seeking the source of the voice that came from nowhere and yet everywhere the same time. "B-But, uh…it's, ha ha…k-kinda hard to do that from…y'know…this place."

"I can fix that easily," the voice said, calmly, and took on a note of pride and powerful command. "Join me, my boy. I am seeking new blood to help me in my cause. You are the perfect candidate."

"New blood? Me? Wh-why me?"

"You are a genius. You are gifted with a superior intellect beyond your years. You are passionate, driven, and will stop at nothing to achieve your goals."

The voice suddenly seemed to be in his ear.

"You are even willing to kill."

Varian squeaked and swiped at thin air, backing away from where the voice had been. The laughter came again; louder, and with a hint more malice.

"I…well…um…okay, but…wh-why should I help you?" he frowned, and his voice began to harden. "How do I know I can trust you? I don't even know who or wh-what you are!"

"If you assist me in my schemes, I shall give you two great boons," the voice answered, sibilantly. "First, I shall give you power to seek revenge on those who wronged you; the wretched fools who spurned your genius, shunned your friendship, and betrayed your trust. You could take over this whole kingdom for your own, do with it as you will."

Varian's fingers slowly clenched into fists. His teeth gritted as familiar, hateful faces flashed in his mind. Ruddiger, under the cot, whimpered; that was the same look he'd seen on his boy's face when he'd been using that scary machine that used the princess' hair…

"Tempting," he said, curtly. "But what does this have to do with my father?"

"Simple: I have the power to bring your father back. And if you help me – for a time – that will be the second boon."

The fury left Varian's face. One could practically see stars in his eyes.

"…You…y-you…you mean it?" he peeped, barely daring to hope. "You…you can really do that?"

"Do you dare to question my abilities?" the voice responded, with such cold displeasure it formed goosebumps on the alchemists' thin arms. "I do not offer gifts I cannot give."

Varian bit his lip, furrowing his brow in thought.

"…Show yourself first," he said, at last. "Show yourself, a-and tell me who you are."

The laugh came a third and final time…then, Varian gasped again, as a swirl of dark, black-and-purple mist appeared on the opposite wall from him. The portal opened wider and wider…and then, out of the portal stepped the source of the voice.

The figure was that of a tall and most exceedingly elegant lady; one who carried herself with dignity not even Queen Arianna possessed. She was garbed in dark, flowing robes of obsidian, lined with purple and magenta. Her collar was high and scalloped, almost resembling bat-wings, and a black headdress with horns was tightly bound upon her head. The blackness of her garments matched the feathers of the yellow-beaked, baggy-eyed raven that was perched upon one of her shoulders. One long, slender hand stroked the bird's feathers, while the other – which wore a golden ring with a black gemstone inlaid in it – gripped the handle of a long, golden staff, topped with an emerald orb.

Just as the colors of her robes matched the plumage of her avian companion, the staff's emerald topper matched the woman's curious green skin. Her jade-colored face had high cheekbones and a pointed chin, but was somehow youthful and glamorous; wretched, yet oddly beautiful, all at the same time. Her dark, crimson lips curled into a hungry sort of smile, as glowing yellow eyes peered down at Varian with more than mild interest.

"I," the woman greeted him, with no small amount of pride in her voice, "Am Maleficent. I am arranging quite a glittering assemblage; to ignore one with talents such as yours would be a most egregious oversight. If you come with me…"

She bent low at the hip…and extended one hand to Varian invitingly.

"…I shall give you everything you desire."

Varian looked up to Maleficent's face, then to her hand, then back to her face again.

He gulped nervously. Maleficent caught the flicker of hesitation, and raised one thin, magnificent eyebrow.

"Do you have many other current options?" she pressed, smoothly. "I could always leave you here."

Varian bit his lip…then looked to one side and behind him.

Ruddiger whimpered, and glanced between Varian and the Dark Fairy.

Varian seemed to study the frightened raccoon for a moment…then, he moved onto his hands and knees and extended one hand.

"Buddy," he whispered, "Come here."

Ruddiger whimpered, ears folding back, and moved back a bit.

Varian looked about ready to cry again.

"Please," he pleaded, speaking an octave louder. "Ruddiger…I-I…you're all I have left. Please…just…come with me. I can't…"

He gulped, choking back a sob, and looked beseechingly at the raccoon.

"…I can't do this w-without you."

Ruddiger hesitated…then, very timidly, he approached Varian.

The youth smiled gratefully, and draped his pet around his shoulders before scratching him softly behind the ears. Maleficent and her raven, Diablo, shared a quick, subtle look, before focusing on Varian once more.

The alchemist took a deep breath, straightened his back…and nodded up to Maleficent.

"I…I-I accept," he said, with no small amount of fear…but also no large amount of certainty.

Maleficent smiled wider, revealing perfect white teeth. With a wave of her hand, she undid the shackles that bound Varian. Having done this, she said nothing, but simply offered her hand once more. Varian paused, massaging his wrists for a moment or two…

…Then, he took the hand of the Mistress of All Evil, and held it tight.

And without another moment's hesitation, Maleficent led him – as a mother leads their child – towards the dark portal. They both stepped through it and disappeared. The portal closed behind them…

And the cold, damp air of the dungeons somehow seemed more chilling than ever…as all they left behind them was the empty, quiet cell.


End file.
